


Fickle Game

by Lonyn



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-11
Updated: 2017-05-29
Packaged: 2018-10-17 13:57:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 79,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10595421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lonyn/pseuds/Lonyn
Summary: “Emun Ryder.” She said, feeling the warmth of his touch spread into her palm. His grip was loose compared to hers, years of trying to impress other officers by having a strong handshake was ingrained deep within her, but she loosened her own hand when she found how easily it fit into his. She shook her head when she saw him smirk, frown set upon her face as she slipped her hand away from his.“You’re rather cute when you frown like that.” He said and she narrowed her eyes when he touched his finger and thumb to her chin, turning her attention back towards him.She grabbed his hand, pulling it down. “Do you always do this to people you first meet?”“Only when they’re fun to tease,” he chuckled. She glared at him, burning a little at his cute comment and wanting to wipe the smirk off his face. This was new territory, she didn’t usually get so flustered like this. “If you’d like to keep holding my hand I’m fine with that, but shouldn’t we talk about business first?”





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured I'd go ahead and post this here too! ^^ I did use some game dialogue, I rather like their banter in game, but I don't want to rely on it so I'm trying to change things up and make them my own too! (: I'm marking this as M for possible future NSFW content (:

            The Tempest was quiet and the water in the shower had become frigid while she sat, knees curled up to her chest as the water continued to cascade over her head and down her back. She was numb at this point. It hit her like a ton of bricks without her realizing it.

            She’d been trying to ignore it, ignore the unusual case of guilt that had finally touched her regarding her father’s death. It was a quick glimpse of his helmet sitting on the table in her quarters. She hadn’t put it there—she wasn’t sure who had—and though it was a touching gesture she was thankful for, it still triggered the mess that had been eating away at her insides for the last couple months.

            Everyone was off on the Nexus and she’d found herself alone on the Tempest, heading for her cabin, and after that it was to the shower and finally sinking to the floor. She didn’t cry, she just felt so empty, so lost. She wanted so badly to talk to Shannon. He was her rock, her best friend, and not having him here, lying to him about what happened to their father… she felt guilty about that too.

            It’d been quite some time now—too long—and she wasn’t exactly keeping track of how much time she’d spent sitting here, but it was long enough that the shivering had stopped. She hadn’t moved, she knew her joints were going to scream at her when she did get up, but she didn’t care. She just couldn’t make herself move.

            “Hello?” She heard the soft lilt of Lexi’s voice reach her ears through the sound of the pelting water. “Who’s in here, it’s been—Ryder?” The alarm pitched up in her voice and the water suddenly stopped. “Emun, are you alright?”

            She finally moved her head, her face having been buried against her knees, and she looked up to see the usual concern on Lexi’s face that was notched up a degree. The Asari quickly moved to grab a towel, wrapping it around her shoulders.

            “Emun, you’re freezing. Let’s get you up now,” she finally forced herself to move and stood, feeling the ache in her knees and hips as Lexi lead her back to her quarters. She pulled the towel around herself as she sat on her couch, seeing Lexi glance over and spot her father’s helmet.

            “Finally hit you, didn’t it?” Lexi asked and she found she couldn’t answer her. “I told…” She sighed. “I told that person it was best to wait to give that to you. I’m sorry.”

            “It’s fine,” she spoke, droplets of water dripping down her hair and soaking her towel. Lexi left and came back carrying a couple more of them.

            “You’ll catch a cold if you don’t take care of yourself.” She chastised her, but she didn’t care about getting sick. They were going to head to Kadara Port and she didn’t care nor really want to go. If it wasn’t for meeting this “Shena” contact then she wouldn’t bother going right now to begin with. She’d put it off till later, not wanting to mix herself up in that mess.

            She felt Lexi pull her long, dark brunette curls into the towel, beginning to wring it dry and despite wanting to tell her to leave, that she could do it on her own, she let her. Maybe it was because she didn’t want to be entirely alone at the moment, or maybe it was that Lexi’s constant worrying reminded her of her mum and it set her at ease. Either way, she didn’t tell her to leave and she didn’t mind her fretting at this current time.

            She and Lexi had realized that the other crew members may have been right about how uptight the two of them were, but despite saying they’d do better and loosen up more the two of them were still workaholics. Case in point; they were both back on the Tempest rather than the Nexus right now.

            “I know you’re not ready to talk about it, but whenever you are, Emun, I’m here for you. Whenever you need my shoulder it’s available.”

            “I know. Thank you.” She said softly and Lexi patted her shoulder.

            “I’ll be in the med bay if you need me. Dry yourself off and get some rest. That’s an order.”

            Emun nodded, listening to her leave. It took a bit for her to get up, to dry herself the rest of the way off, and clothe herself. She stared at the helmet sitting on the table. Finally she moved, grabbing it, running her fingers across the smooth and scratched surface, over the N7 brand. Her fingers stalled a moment till they spelled over RYDER scratched into it. She swallowed hard, clutching the helmet to her chest.

            “I’m sorry, dad.”

 

\---

 

            Emun wasn’t excited to be stepping foot onto Kadara, mainly because she didn’t know what to expect from the exiles. She figured though as long as she wasn’t dressed like someone from the Initiative she would be okay, and to distance herself from the ship before word spread of who was here. She knew it wouldn’t last long, anonymity seemed hard to come by, as if she had PATHFINDER stamped across her forehead.

            However, she did have Drack and Vetra with her, and that would possibly up her cred in the deeper seedier world here. They were looking out upon the port, and this was definitely a first; seeing something up and running as soon as they got to a place. Though Kadara certainly wasn’t without its faults as SAM had already informed her.

            “Come on, we’re gonna be late, Vetra. Don’t wanna keep our suppliers waiting.” Drack said.

            Emun raised a brow at the two of them. “Is this something I should know about?”

            “Nope,” they both echoed as they left without her, leaving her to deal with meeting whomever this Shena was on her own. She inwardly grumbled, straightening her back as she made her way down the stairs, trusting SAM’s navpoint to get her to the bar.

            There were people scattered about, the ones with guns having to be with Sloane Kelly’s guard. Make the rules, but don’t follow them seemed to be Sloane’s M.O. There were people begging not to be exiled for not being able to pay a protection fee, and someone being beaten in the street in broad daylight. She clenched her fist, moving over there, but SAM chimed in her head that it was not wise to get involved at this moment, so she moved around them and made her way towards the sounds of pulsating music.

            She already wasn’t a fan of what Sloane was doing. Protection fees? And if they couldn’t pay they were thrown off into the wastes and dangers of this planet? That was deplorable. People followed her out here, and she was casting them out like they were nothing. This wasn’t what the Andromeda Initiative was supposed to be about. She knew she wasn’t the most optimistic person in the world, but Andromeda was about new beginnings. Not… whatever Sloane had turned this all into.

            She went inside Kralla’s Song, heading down the steps and slowly looking around. Bars were not her element, though she wasn’t opposed to a fine glass of Scotch every once in a while, she just wasn’t at her best around a lot of people. Especially drunk people; she only had so much patience, and this port was already wearing it thin.

            She found herself at the bar, leaning against it as she looked around at the patrons. She didn’t see any Angara, which was who she was expecting to find as her contact. She stared over towards the entrance, the bartender trying to sell her a drink and heaving out a sigh when she didn’t want one.

            “You look like you’re waiting for someone,” she heard a deep voice, and looked over to see a man, who was maybe an inch or so taller than her own 5’11 frame, saunter his way towards her. His skin was tanned dark, black hair and bedroomesque hazel eyes. Oh, she knew what this guy wanted and she wasn’t in the mood. She had business to attend to.

            He tapped the bar as he sidled up next to her and the bartender set two drinks down in front of him. He went to hand her one but she shook her head. “Not interested.” She told him.

            “Suit yourself,” he proceeded to take one and down it, then drank the other as well. “Shena, but call me Reyes. I’m not particularly fond of codenames.”

            “I was expecting an Angaran.” She told him.

            He shrugged his shoulders lightheartedly, smirking her way and staring her down. She didn’t back down, but she had to admit his gaze was something else. “I get paid by the Resistance to supply them with information. Among other things.”

            “Ah. Smuggler,” she said dryly. So she was dealing with a criminal to get another criminal out of jail who was jailed by a criminal. She kept herself from palming her forehead at the mess she indeed found herself in.

            He chuckled, “you could say that. So, Pathfinder? You’re certainly not Alec Ryder. Not that I’m complaining.”

            “No, I’m not.” She really wished she had something to occupy her hands, a drink would’ve been nice now, but she would look foolish getting one at this point.

            “So who are you then?” He asked, gaze still intent upon her. When she still didn’t say anything he let out a lighthearted huff. “Introductions are not difficult, if we are to work with each other it’d be nice to have your name, Pathfinder.”

            She swallowed, trying not to let it show that she thought he was attractive, that his voice alone was attractive, and mentally kicking herself for thinking so. ‘Pathfinder, I believe you can trust him. An introduction would be harmless; it would also establish a better working relationship and connections within Kadara.’ She wanted to roll her eyes at SAM trying to help her be more sociable. It was like an inner nightmare when the AI thought it was being cute by nudging her forward.

            “My full name is Reyes Vidal,” he pulled off his glove and offered up his hand to her and she finally clasped her hand with his.

            “Emun Ryder.” She said, feeling the warmth of his touch spread into her palm. His grip was loose compared to hers, years of trying to impress other officers by having a strong handshake was ingrained deep within her, but she loosened her own hand when she found how easily it fit into his. She shook her head when she saw him smirk, frown set upon her face as she slipped her hand away from his.

            “You’re rather cute when you frown like that.” He said and she narrowed her eyes when he touched his finger and thumb to her chin, turning her attention back towards him.

            She grabbed his hand, pulling it down. “Do you always do this to people you first meet?”

            “Only when they’re fun to tease,” he chuckled. She glared at him, burning a little at his cute comment and wanting to wipe the smirk off his face. This was new territory, she didn’t usually get so flustered like this. “If you’d like to keep holding my hand I’m fine with that, but shouldn’t we talk about business first?”

            Immediately she dropped his hand, letting out a groan. “Business. Now. What do you know about Vehn Terev?”

            Another bout of laughter escaped him as he walked over to the rail that overlooked the expanse of Kadara. Mountains framed the landscape, dust and brown, a lukewarm glow washed over it all. She had followed him as he leaned against the rail and she stood next to him, waiting for him to go on.

            “Vehn Terev was arrested by Sloane Kelly, leader of the Outcasts. You may also know her as the leader of the Nexus uprising.”

            “Fantastic.”

            “When word spread about what he did to Moshae Sjefa, the people were calling for his execution. And Sloane is a ‘woman of the people.’” He told her. “Your being Pathfinder and working for the Initiative may make things difficult. I doubt she’ll give up Vehn easily.”

            “I can be persuasive.”

            He laughed, “what with your sunny disposition? Actually, she might like that about you,” he grinned and she frowned again, narrowing her eyes in the process.

            “Guns are persuasive.”

            He looked her over, and it didn’t make her feel uncomfortable as his eyes roved her body, but it made her flustered all the same. “I wouldn’t mind figuring out where you’re hiding one of those.”

            She groaned, “I can get one.”

            He held his hands up, “well, if that fails I might have another way to go about this. For now, work Sloane and see what you can come up with, I’ll go chat with the Resistance. I’ll see you soon, Emun Ryder.” His smile bothered her, and by bother it was that she was bothered by how much she was enjoying his attention. She mentally chastised herself as he turned to walk away.

            “How am I supposed to contact you?” She asked and watched as he turned, giving her a wink and continuing his way out of the bar. Her face fell at that, cheeks flushed, and she began to grumble to herself that he was just a shameless flirt and she was silly for being so flustered. That wasn’t an answer! Who winked as an answer to a question?

            “Hey, lovebird,” the bartender barked at her. “Don’t forget to pay.”

            “What?”

            “The drinks!”

            Emun raised a brow and scowled once again. “That bastard.”

            “Might want to wipe the drool off your face, sweetheart,” the Asari said, smug and proud of herself for coming up with that one, and Emun continued to glower at her.

            “Funny,” she deadpanned, transferring some credits over, not wanting to get into a fight and be barred from Kadara for a couple unpaid drinks. Or maybe she did want to be barred from Kadara? “I want my change.”

            “Sorry, lovebird, the change is mine.”

            With another grumble to herself she left the bar, remembering why she hated being in these places, especially if she wasn’t drinking, and she was back out in the hustle and bustle that was Kadara Port. She hated this place so far… And that man was ridiculous! She tried to tell herself that, but she was already thinking of the way he looked at her, continued to look at her, the way his fingers felt on her skin.

            Stop. She berated herself and walked through the market making her way over to where Sloane’s headquarters were marked on her navpoint.

            “Ryder, need I remind you that Sloane Kelly may not react positively to our inquiry of Vehn Terev.” SAM chimed in. “I agree with Mr. Vidal that she will more than likely harbor an immediate dislike towards you for being part of the Initiative. Someone with connections such as hers will also know who you are already.”

            “Fantastic, SAM. So it’s a no-win situation.”

            “Perhaps not. Maybe we can appeal to—”

            “SAM, this woman is forcing people to pay protection fees. She’s a mob boss. I’m not sucking up to her.”

            “I understand your sentiments, Ryder, however it may be in our best interest to stay on Sloane Kelly’s good side.” SAM tried to press and Emun stopped, aware that talking to herself made her look crazy.

            “SAM, let’s just see how this goes.”

            “I will trust your judgment, Pathfinder.”

            She let out a sigh, heading into the building to be accosted by a couple rather large Krogan bodyguards at Sloane’s door. They frisked her for weapons, and she waited for them to be done until they finally uttered to her that there better be no funny business from her. The door opened, one went in and the other shoved her forward, causing her to glower at the Krogan until she saw Sloane perched on what amounted to a throne. She was looking over a map, eyes mismatched in color and a scar on her darkened skin near her mouth. She was tough, definitely Alliance, but there would be no camaraderie between them.

            “What?” She barked Emun’s way. “Ah, the Pathfinder. What can I do for the Nexus’s new lapdog? Anything, Princess?”

            She frowned, eyes narrowed and she got down to business. “I need Vehn Terev, I heard you were holding him.”

            “Ah, right down to business. Unfortunately, he’s off the table. This is an Angaran port and they want his head on a pike. I’m obliged to give them that satisfaction.”

            “Which is why the Resistance should take care of him.”

            “Look, Princess, you don’t get to come into my house and make demands. I call the shots around here not some new starry eyed, optimist, Hyperion little shit, who’s a year late to the party.”

            Emun raised her brows and snorted. “You came to Andromeda optimistic. There’s no reason you can’t make peace with the Nexus now.”

            “Why? Because some little brat trying to fill daddy’s shoes says so? You don’t know what it was like.”

            “Sounds like an excuse.” Emun shot back, beginning to hear SAM warn her she was digging herself in too deep, but she promptly ignored it.

            One of her Turian guards came towards her, pistol in her face. She quickly disarmed him, managing to pull it out his hands, and kicked him back while he was stunned. She pointed it at Sloane, who already had her own gun pointed back at her, and she heard the Krogan guard’s guns behind her warm up.

            “Stop,” Sloane ordered them. “I don’t need the Nexus bearing down on me because their precious new Pathfinder’s brain is splattered on my floor. Especially not right now when the Collective is on my ass. Get out of my sight.”

            Emun glanced behind her and they lowered their weapons as she backed slowly from the room. “We’ll be keeping our eyes on you, Pathfinder.” Sloane warned and Emun shrugged.

            “Likewise,” she dismantled the pistol and tossed it on the floor before she slipped out the room, quickly heading out the door. She growled to herself about failing that one, but somewhere in the back of her mind she knew it’d go down almost exactly like that. Maybe not with three guns pointing at her though.

            “Perhaps Mr. Vidal had better luck?” SAM offered up and once outside in the open she found he was waiting for her, calling her over.

            “Have a nice chat?” When she sent a simmering look his way he began to laugh. “I take it your charms didn’t work.”

            “No, but I found a gun.” She said and listened to his laughter continue. “She can’t be reasoned with.” Emun said, placing her hands on her hips.

            “Or you didn’t want to reason with her.” He said.

            She glanced his way then crossed her arms. “No, I didn’t. I don’t like her.”

            “Well then,” he chuckled, “this is certainly a beautiful start to our friendship!”

            She rolled her eyes, “she shouldn’t be the leader here. I intend to do something about that.” She said trying not to pay attention to the way he was looking at her again. “Stop looking at me like that.”

            He shrugged, smug grin set firmly to his lips, “what?” He asked innocently. “How exactly am I looking at you, hm?”

            “You… you’re just trying to get under my skin. I’m not falling for this.” She was flustered again, and she could feel her cheeks already beginning to heat up.

            “Suit yourself, we could have a lot of fun.”

            She groaned, “stop.” She listened to his laugh, and it warmed her while she pursed her lips. “What next?”

            “For us?”

            “No!” She nearly shouted, immediately trying to reign herself back in. She was calm, she was professional, what on Earth was causing this? She was not used to being this flustered, and it was all too foreign for her. “About Terev!”

            He was laughing again, and she stewed in silence. “Don’t worry. I’ve got a workaround. There’s a back way into the jail, slip this to Vehn and a Resistance contact will be waiting for him when he gets out. And before you ask, no this will not lead back to us. We’ll be fine.”

            “Why do I have to be the one to do it?”

            “Because you’re the Pathfinder with that fancy AI implant. You can do anything! It’ll be much easier for you to accomplish this task.

            She took it from him and he continued to smirk at her. “You owe me for those drinks you made me pay for.”

            “You should’ve had one!” He joked. “I’m usually the model gentleman.”

            “Right. Sounds like a load of shite to me.”

            “Because I’m lying.” He continued to grin at her and she pursed her lips again. “Come to Tartarus when you’re finished here. First rounds on me. I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things to know about my Emun Ryder: she's tall, she's not very emotional, she's practical and logical with most of her decisions, and she and her brother, Shannon, share their mother's British accent though not as heavy.
> 
> Come say hi to me on Tumblr! I'm @Lonyn there too (:


	2. Chapter 2

            The day had passed and Reyes had sat in his room at Tartarus, waiting, thinking, not able to focus on the tasks he should’ve been concentrating on. He had important things to take care of, yet his thoughts continued to linger and focus on the Pathfinder that everyone had been talking about for the last two months.

            At first glance she was this tall, lithe, woman; someone he wouldn’t have expected to know how to use a gun let alone hold it. But that was why looks were deceiving, and he learned long ago not to trust first glances. She was a spitfire for sure, and it was already extremely fun to ruffle her feathers.

            He could tell a lot by their first meeting. She was Alliance trained for sure; she was one of those typical military types that followed the orders given and was professional to boot. In other words, usually a boring stick in the mud that didn’t know how to have fun to save their lives. However, there was something about her, an optimism behind that curmudgeonly exterior that he hadn’t seen since before the Nexus had pushed off for the unknown.

            It was all so much simpler then; to be starry eyed, and so full of hope, good nerves that tingled your skin at the anticipation that Andromeda could bring. He’d learned quickly that it wouldn’t be easy, it never was, and he should’ve known better than to believe that it would be so smooth once they’d gotten here.

            Yet here she was, breezing in, light on her feet, with this odd graceful air that he’d yet to see, and she was already making a difference. He’d heard about Eos, was already planning on what the future held. He needed her, he needed to make a positive impact on her in order to help Kadara be what he thought it could be without Sloane.

            Emun already didn’t like Sloane, and he’d work that to his advantage. He didn’t even have to tell her anything about what she was doing here, Emun had already figured that out for herself. He wished he could’ve been a fly on the wall during that exchange, but he was sure he’d hear in great detail from someone about what actually went down if she wasn’t willing to share.

            Emun had already made waves, and he could hear through his connections about how she wasn’t well-liked. That wasn’t surprising to him, they all viewed her as the Nexus’s lapdog, but they didn’t realize that this woman could bring good things to this Port. He would kill to get an outpost here. Well, he already had, but he’d do whatever he needed to get done in order to get that outpost here.

            He let out a sigh, she really wasn’t going to come by, was she? Had he come on too strong? Usually his charms worked, but Emun was certainly a mystery. She was easily flustered though, but that didn’t always mean someone liked you well enough to seek you out again. He wanted to talk to her about the murders going on, and he could really use her help with her AI implant, and seeing her would be an enjoyable bonus.

            He left his room and went down to get a drink from Kian, maybe a stiff one would ease his wandering thoughts. Once down there he grabbed a drink and took a swig.

            “Say, Kian, you haven’t happened to have seen a woman about this tall, curly brown hair, scar under her eye? Perpetual frown on her face?”

            Before the man could answer he heard a familiar voice from behind him. “You’re not talking about Ryder are you?” Vetra asked him, and he smiled up at the tall Turian. He’d had dealings with Vetra before, and he’d always really liked working with her.

            “Yes, I am. Aren’t you on board the Tempest now? Perhaps you can get a hold of her for me?” He asked.

            Vetra began to chuckle, “You weren’t the contact were you?”

            “Actually, I am.”

            “Ah, no wonder,” The Turian shook her head, taking a drink. “There’s one thing you need to know about Emun Ryder, Vidal. This,” she gestured around and he followed her long lines, “is not her scene, nor is it her style. So if you asked her to meet you back here, she probably won’t come.”

            He laughed as well, “Yes I gathered that from our first meetings.”

            “I’m not sure what’s wrong with that one, sweet girl in her own unemotional way, definitely not innocent, but she will probably avoid this place, and you.”

            “Aw,” he feigned hurt, “why is that?”

            “Oh, come on, Vidal, you know why.”

            “It can’t be because of my charming nature. You know I’m but a simple wallflower, Vetra.”

            “Uh huh, you play cute and coy, Reyes, but I know what you’re about.”

            “Nonsense. Besides, it’s strictly business. I need her help regarding these murders in the port.”

            “Oh yeah, we walked by a dead Angaran outside Kralla’s a while ago. She seemed concerned about it, but with that one you never know. Don’t play poker with her. Gil learned that the hard way, and I don’t even think she cheated.”

            “Doesn’t seem the type from what I’ve gathered,” he chuckled. “Could you maybe talk to her for me?”

            “I can try, and if that doesn’t work, I’ll appeal to the Angaran angle. She’s very keen on helping them to keep in their good graces. She knows it’ll benefit both sides in the long run.”

            “Thank you, Vetra.”

            “Yeah, sure. And, Vidal, no funny business. Emun does a lot of looking out for everyone, making sure we’re all taken care of. You get on her bad side, you’ll have to deal with an angry Krogan dad.”

            “Krogan dad?” He raised his brows.

            “Yeah, Drack has unofficially taken her under his wing. He tries to deny it, but he’s been playing the protective dad role without realizing it. Trust me, you don’t want to upset poppa Drack.”

            “I’ll take note of that,” he laughed.

            “Is the matter urgent?”

            “I believe it is.”

            “Alright, I’ll get her over the comms and have her come down here. Last I saw she was up at the market trying to get supplies.”

            Reyes let out a huff, “Let her know that I can get her a much better stock than the swill they sell up there.”

            “You been holding out on me, Vidal?”

            “Of course not.”

            “Uh huh.” She turned her attention away from him. “Hey, Ryder, could you come down to Tartarus real quick?” There was a long pause and Vetra said to him, “I think she knows what’s up. That one’s really sharp.”

            _“Something wrong, Vetra?”_   He heard Ryder respond, her even voice unmistakable with her slight British lilt.

            “Not really, just down here with your most recent Kadaran acquaintance. He’s looking into those murders and could use your help.”

            Another long pause. _“Have you been chatting with SAM?”_ He began to laugh.

            “I’m flattered.” Reyes grinned.

            _“Is he patched in on our comm?”_

            “No, he’s standing right next to me. Just head on down, Ryder, you’ll like it. It’s classy.”

            Reyes could almost see the frown through the comm link. There wasn’t another response from her, however. “Is she coming?”

            “Down boy. She’ll be here.”

            “How do you know?”

            “Because I asked her to?” Vetra said. “We try not to, but asking her for a favor will usually end up with it granted. She likes to work and keep busy.”

            It was maybe ten minutes of idle chatter later and glancing at the door every time it opened until he finally saw her walking in, looking as indifferent as when he’d first met her. She saw him over by the bar, and he watched her straighten more than she already was, practically gliding her way towards them. She had to have been a dancer of some caliber, the way she unconsciously stepped to the beat, the way her feet, even in boots, seemed to caress the floor.

            He tried to look nonchalant, but this woman had caught his attention already. He found himself wanting to impress her, wanting to know what made her tick, and he wanted to find more ways to be around her already. He hadn’t felt like this, couldn’t remember the last time a person was able to take his interest for more than just mere moments. Someone who made him excited at the mere thought of them.

            “Glad you could stop by.” He quipped, and he couldn’t read her expression. She was trying to be more calm and collected than she’d been earlier.

            “SAM suggested it.”

            “Well, I still owed you a drink.” He smiled.

            “Still not interested.” She said to him. If she was playing hard to get then he was more than willing to play the game.

            “Is she always so difficult like this?” He asked Vetra.

            “Eh, not so much difficult as stubborn.”

            “I’m not stubborn.” Defiance riddled her voice as she gave them a quick glare.

            “Then have a drink with us.” He nodded to Kian who began to make something for her.

            “Loosen up a little, Ryder. Makes the business talks a little more fun.” Vetra spoke, knocking back another drink.

            “Business isn’t supposed to be fun.”

            Reyes began to laugh. “Relax, just have a drink, then we can talk.”

            He could see the way she clenched her jaw slightly, anxious, wanting to get down to the business and nothing more. He grabbed her drink and handed it to her, and to his surprise she knocked it back and set it back on Kian’s bar top.

            He and Vetra stared at her a beat. “What?” She asked.

            “She drinks!” Vetra said gleefully. “Peebee owes me ten credits!”

            He watched Emun carefully, a small smirk twitched at her lips. So she wasn’t all business if her crew could have a few laughs at her expense.

            Reyes tapped the bar, grabbing a few more drinks and leading them upstairs and to his room. They followed and he handed them their respective poisons, watching to see if Emun was going to savor this one or shoot it. She sipped it, and he sat on one of the couches getting comfortable.

            “So you saw the murdered Angaran?” He asked.

            “Yes.”

            “I’ve gotten word of another murder out on the frontier.”

            Narrowing her eyes, she crossed her leg over the other. “You’re oddly well connected.”

            He gestured widely, “I have to be. I wouldn’t be a good smuggler otherwise.”

            “Vetra?” She turned to her Turian crew mate and he studied them both as Vetra began to pretend like she was mulling him over.

            “Nah, Ryder, don’t worry. Reyes is good for it, no matter how much his mouth might get him in trouble.”

            He chuckled, “the Resistance doesn’t call me Shena for nothing.”

            “What does it mean?” She asked.

            “It’s actually the Angaran word for mouth. I’m good with… words.” He coughed, hiding his little smile.

            “Among other things,” she said and he smirked at her. She let out the softest sigh of a groan. “Shit…” She muttered.

            “Walked right into that one, legs,” Vetra laughed.

            “The murders.” Emun immediately steered them back around. “Who do you think is committing them? Someone trying to get under Sloane’s skin?”

            “I doubt that.”

            “This Charlatan character then?”

            He smoothed his way over the secret he was withholding, “That’s unlikely too.” He leaned forward. “I was thinking the Roekaar. The only connection I’ve found is Milky Way victims and Milky Way sympathizers. It’s the only thing that makes sense.” He took a sip of his drink, watching her, gauging her reaction.

            After a moment she rolled her eyes. “Send me the nav point.”

            “SAM must’ve agreed.” Vetra let out a soft giggle. “That’s usually what she does when SAM tells her something she already knows.”

            Emun’s expression was unchanging, but he could see her relax ever so slightly. She had the most peculiar eyes, a silvery brown depending on the light and sometimes he could see a hint of a deep shade of blue to them. They could be expressive when she didn’t catch herself in time to hide what she was thinking. There was a scar underneath her right eye, something akin to a burn mark or shrapnel scarring. He was interested to know that story as well.

            She glanced his way, caching him staring at her again, and he cleared his throat seeing Vetra smirk his way. “Listen, Emun, there’s something I wanted to tell you. You aren’t very well liked in Kadara Port so far.”

            “Shocking,” she deadpanned and he would’ve laughed but he was trying to be serious.

            “You need connections here; intel. I can be your guy—I mean. I can be _that_ guy. If there’s anything you need, come find me first.” He recovered from that little slip, seeing Vetra eyeing him out the corner of his eye and Emun stood. She held out her hand and he took it within his own to shake.

            “Alright.” She agreed, and Vetra stood with her. Two pillars of the Tempest standing side by side. He felt bad for the sorry bastards who had to see these two out in the field. He hoped to have them on his side someday as well.

 

\---

 

            Emun strapped on her armor at their forward station just outside the slums. It was rather vexing having to abide by Sloane’s rules as she would’ve rather have had her gear together before coming out here. The smell of sulfur wafted their way amidst rocky formations and jaded terrain. It was an interesting place, yet one she didn’t like for the smell alone.

            “So why are we doing favors for this guy?” Liam asked, heading over to her as she checked the scope on her black widow.

            “We’re not doing him a favor. We’re trying to make this place more viable.”

            “And along the way,” Vetra checked her own loadout, “doing Emun’s new boyfriend a few favors.” She heard her suggestive tone and nearly lost her composure.

            “Vetra—”

            “Aw, Emmy, don’t tell me you’ve got a hard on for that tool, yeah?”

            She nearly grimaced, keeping her calm despite wanting to protest vehemently. “No. I don’t.”

            “I’ve suggested to the Pathfinder that we establish a connection here on Kadara. Mr. Vidal seems very well connected and intent upon helping the people here. At least, more than Sloane Kelly.” SAM said to all of them. She quietly thanked SAM and began to think it wasn’t so bad after all.

            “Ready?” She asked the others.

            “Yeah, almost.” She watched as Liam tested out his jump jet, did a few squats and hopped up a few times. “Alright, let’s boogie.”

            She went over to the Nomad and begrudgingly hopped into the driver’s seat. Every time they were out in this damned thing, someone had to comment on her driving. She hated driving, yet somehow she was the only one who did. Probably because they were just as terrible, or worse, and were keen on making fun of her for it.

            They got going and she eased along the pathway heading out towards where the map was informing her to go. She didn’t want to venture off the beaten path just yet.

            “So, Vetra, what’s this guy all about?”

            “Who Reyes?” She glanced over, wanting to hear what Vetra had to say about the man. “He’s a smuggler, obviously, the best Kadara has to offer to be honest. He’s got a lot of pull and a lot of say, especially since he works with the Resistance as well. He keeps the Angara happy, his cred goes up with them.”

            “What about on the Nexus?”

            “Before that, never met him. I’m not sure who he was either, and I’m sure we couldn’t tell now, a lot of the records got scrubbed. He wasn’t one of the big players though. He’s just one of the ones that quietly left and didn’t make any waves while doing so. I’ve never had any trouble with him. He takes most of the good work though.”

            “Good work?” Emun asked.

            “You don’t want to know,” Vetra laughed. “I’ve got to keep you innocent.”

            Liam snorted, “Emmy is not innocent. Don’t let the cute exterior fool you.”

            “Why does everyone keep saying I’m cute?” Emun asked, tone even, and genuinely curious as to why she was suddenly so adorable in Andromeda. “I’ve never been called cute in my life.”

            “I don’t know, really. Wait, why? Who else said you were cute?” Liam pressed curiously.

            “Huh? Not like that, just… You guys. Sloane insists on calling me princess.”

            The two of them began to laugh. “That’s classic,” Liam continued to chortle and patted her shoulder. “Princess Ryder.”

            “Don’t. You. Dare.” She said low, eyes still on the dirt road path.

            “Oh, don’t worry. I don’t want to wake up with a knife sticking out of somewhere.”

            “That… That would never happen.” Except there _had_ been this one time when she and Shannon were kids. He pissed her off enough that she stuck a knife into his bed while he was sleeping. She succeeded in freaking him out when he woke up, and she also succeeded in getting into trouble with her parents. It was one of the few times that she had actually gotten in trouble. That was usually Shannon’s job.

            “Suddenly I’m not so convinced. You do have a knife collection,” Vetra mulled that over and Emun stopped the Nomad.

            “I have three knives.”

            “That’s kind of two too many, yeah? Wait, why are we stopped.”

            Emun raised a brow, looking over at Liam. “Why is that too many? There are people shooting up ahead.”

            “Hold up, where? I don’t see anything.”

            Vetra chuckled, opening the door of the Nomad. “Gotta watch out for those hawk eyes, Kosta.”

            “Up over the ridge,” Emun responded. “When we crested the hill back there I saw them.”

            “Aaaand, what? We’re just going to sit around while you snipe them? That’s no fun. Also, we don’t know if they’re bad guys or not.” Liam pointed out.

            He had a good point. “Fine. We drive closer, and see if they start shooting at us.”

            “This should be interesting,” Vetra hopped back into the vehicle. “It’d be smarter to pick them off from a distance and not be so careless.”

            Before Liam could say anything Emun interjected. “Don’t start antagonizing one another. You two were getting along for a change.”

            “Heh, we were weren’t we?” Liam grinned.

            “Don’t get used to it, Kosta.”

            “I’m going to turn the Nomad around and get someone else if you two start cat fighting again.” Emun spoke, still calm, but more than serious. She didn’t enjoy listening to their bickering.

            “Do you even know how to turn the Nomad around?” Liam teased and Emun slammed on the brakes, jerking him forward.

            She took a breath, trying to make sure her words came out even. “How about you drive this bloody mess then?” Liam and Vetra said nothing, and she began to drive once more, heading over to a line of rocks. “That’s what I thought. If no one else wants to drive this piece of shite, then I suggest we stop talking about my driving.”

            She opened the door to the Nomad and hopped out, putting her cap over her head and putting her helmet on. She made her way over to the rocks to get a good look at the encampment below which was erupting in gunfire nearly everywhere.

            “Reyes?” She called over the comm. His voice filled her ears and she cursed the warm feeling that washed over her when he answered.

_“What can I do for you, Emun?”_

            “We’ve driven up on a firefight. What do we need to know about the fighting?”

_“Outlaws, raiders, collective, take your pick. They’re all out here, and they’re up to no good. Try not to get shot. I would hate to not see you again.”_

            She frowned, glancing over to her squad mates to see them eyeing her. “Let’s go.” She sidled up at the top of the rock, looking into her scope. “Vetra, anything?”

            “Not sure who’s who.” She responded.

            “Keep watch, we’ll go on ahead and check things out.” Liam said, and began his way down behind rocks as Vetra followed her own path. She kept watch through her scope as the two sides picked each other off. Neither looked particularly innocent.

            _“How goes the Pathfinding, Pathfinder?”_ Emun almost faltered at hearing him in her ear again.

            “This better be a private channel,” She muttered quietly then heard his chuckle ring in her ears and she shifted slightly against the boulder.

_“Of course it is. Did you need any help out there?”_

            “No. I’m quite capable on my own.” A bullet zinged past her, splintering pieces of the rock.

_“What’s going on?”_

            “They’re shooting at me.”

_“So shoot back.”_

            “Thanks for the pointers,” she said impassively, lining up a shot on the sharpshooter who was pinpointing her. He was a terrible shot and she was terribly judgmental of awful snipers. Holding her breath, she eased her finger over the trigger, he was watching her down the line of his own scope, but pop. She watched him fall, then lead her rifle over to where she saw Liam about to pounce on some unsuspecting bad guys. She took down another guy.

            Another bullet zinged past her, close, too close for comfort. There was another sniper in the midst and she shrunk back to scan the encampment.

            “Sniper. Has his sights set on me. Be careful.” She told the others.

            “Likewise,” Vetra responded. She quickly began to pick off who she could around her squad mates, and a bright blue flashed before her eyes when a bullet ricocheted off her shields, nearly tearing right through it.

            “Shit,” She muttered, keeping her calm and sweeping through their encampment. She finally spotted the glint off their scope. She lined up her shot and took him down.

            “Doin’ a quick sweep, but I think that’s it.” Liam said.

            “Clear.” Veta responded.

            “Clear.”

            “I’ll pick you up.” Emun got up from her position, letting her black widow compress and she placed it back on her back.

            _“Everything alright?”_ Reyes asked.

            “You almost sound worried.” She hopped into the Nomad, settling into the seat.

_“Maybe I am.”_

            She stilled for a moment, shrugging off his flirtations, trying not to let herself get worked up like before. “Hush.”

            She heard his chuckle, almost beginning to crave his laugh and shook her head, glad he wasn’t around to see the way he was affecting her. “What are you doing?”

_“I’m following other leads as well. That almost sounded like you were genuinely interested.”_

            “I’ll contact you when we get to the nav point.” She said quickly, cutting off her comm to him. She panicked, she didn’t do that, it wasn’t like her and she grumbled to herself. She picked up Liam and Vetra and she was quiet as they followed the road to the marker. They’d been here before, she recognized the small structures. A Krogan lived in this one, he was surly, didn’t like them asking questions. Supposedly had planted mines, but she hadn’t seen any, nor had SAM detected any. It was the same this time.

            She saw a knife when they walked up onto the landing, SAM beginning to prompt her about scanning it. She got to work, and once inside they found the bloodied mess of the Krogan, plate pried off and stabbed multiple times. SAM informed her that the footprints around the scene were Angaran, and so was the trace DNA left behind.

            “SAM says your Roekaar theory is probable, Reyes. What now?” She asked.

_“Let’s pay them a visit. I’ll send you the location.”_

            “You know where they’re at?”

_“I wasn’t sitting on my ass this whole time. I’m already here, looking at their base right now.”_

            She gathered up the other two and they piled back into the Nomad to head to his navigation point. Once they arrived it was another building. It looked quiet around, but she knew better than to trust that.

            The three of them made their way up the steps, listening, finding it was too eerily quiet. “Reyes, where are you?” She asked quietly over the comms. There wasn’t any answer, but the doors immediately opened and she put her hands up as guns were drawn in their faces. Definitely Roekaar, and they were very angry.

            “Drop your weapons, now.” They ordered.

            “We can be civil and talk—”

            “We don’t want to hear anything from you aliens.” Their leader said, and Emun nodded to the others as they slowly disarmed themselves. They led them inside, for what reasons she wasn’t sure. If they wanted them dead then why didn’t they just off them when they were outside?

            “We don’t want to be at war with the Angara,” Emun tried to reason. “We want to help. We’ve already helped.”

            “We’ve learned better with that piece of work ‘running’ Kadara. We see how you humans operate.”

            “I’m not Sloane,” She said, narrowing her eyes.

            “I don’t care, you’re all alike, and you’re going to give us information about your Initiative.” Their leader said as she waved around a knife.

            “No. I’m not.”

            “Ey, Emmy, maybe we ought to not antagonize the people pointing guns at us.” Liam mentioned, and she glanced his way. She had a plan. Somewhat. When she wasn’t looking she was planning on giving her a shot from her cryo beam. They may have taken away her guns, but they didn’t realize the built-in tech she had in her suit.

            A shot rang out and the knife went flying from their leader’s hand. “Lower your weapons,” she heard Reyes say, and she looked up to see him moving by their sides. “Unless you want a bullet in your head.”

            “It’s about time.”

            “I told you, I wasn’t sitting on my ass.”

            “Get them! Do something!” The Angaran yelled.

            “Down now!” Reyes shouted to them, and before Emun moved out the way she sent a quick blast of ice towards the female, rolling out the way as an explosion set off behind the Roekaar. Reyes sidled up next to her behind a crate and handed The Black Widow her way. Liam and Vetra had found a couple crates to hide behind as the gunfire began from those that survived.

            “That is one heavy rifle.” She saw he was impressed and inwardly smirked at his quip. “I told you I’d be here.” He said to her. “I’m not one to break my promises.”

            “We’re being shot at,” Emun reminded him and he nodded, turning around and peeking out beyond the crate before pulling in.

            “I see three up top, three are scattered below behind crates. I think you killed their leader. Or maybe it was my bomb.”

            Emun held her rifle up as she quickly looked through the scope, beginning to take down the three up top before they could do more damage. She saw Vetra and Liam move forward to the crate across from theirs. They’d gone back and grabbed their guns, and were now loaded with their weapons.

            Reyes stayed by her side, taking shots at the ones behind the crates. Liam began to move forward from crate to crate, until he began to physically fight the Roekaar still left. Vetra was sweeping the area as well

             When the gunfire finally ceased they all took their time looking around, looking for more intel on the Roekaar, and not finding much. This mustn’t have been a base, or it wasn’t a base for long. She eventually found Reyes by the door, talking to someone over his comm and immediately shut it off when she got near. He definitely had his secrets, and they involved keeping them from her. She knew it wasn’t really her place, she was the newcomer to Kadara after all, but the need and want to trust him was nagging at her.

            “Nice job, you and your team. I’ll make sure Kadara hears about what you accomplished here.”

            “We weren’t alone in it. You helped too.”

            “Careful now, I might start to think you actually like me.”

            She swallowed, he had gotten closer when he said that, voice going deeper and she let out an even, steady breath. “Don’t push your luck.”

            “Ah, but I’m a betting man, Emun. I like my chances.” He eased past her and their eyes were locked in a standstill. She couldn’t make herself look away from him. “Don’t be a stranger.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan on the next chapter being solely the two of them! (:


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got really excited when I came up with the idea for this chapter, and I really wanted to post it now since I already finished it! So here it is! :D Thank you to those of you reading this so far! <3

            They’d spent a couple weeks exploring Kadara, and she’d done all she could to avoid running into Reyes despite the pull he seemed to have on her. She busied herself with finding the monoliths in order to find the vault. Yet, she wanted to head down to Tartarus like SAM kept suggesting, wanted to see him, wanted to hear him say her name and flirt with her, but she couldn’t let herself. There was business to attend to, and they had more important things to take care of.

            There was one monolith left, but the crew was tired from her running them ragged and keeping them busy. Reluctantly she said she’d give them a few day’s rest, however, she was restless, and anxious, and she wanted to head to it.

            Despite her better judgment, although deep down she knew exactly what she was doing, she found herself in Tartarus, speaking to Kian.

            “You here to see Reyes?” his lilt touched her ears.

            “Not exactly.” She responded, glancing up towards his room.

            “Well, he’s here, and you should go see him. He keeps asking me if I’ve seen you pop in.”

            “He’s asking about me?”

            “It’s not the first time, love.”

            She mulled it over, taking a drink from her glass, and finally pushing herself to go up there. She craved interaction for a change, and despite her inner war, she was at his door, knocking. It opened and she was surprised to see him looking at data pads, hunched forward and leaning his elbows on his knees. There was a slight furrow at his brow, his eyes looked more tired than usual, but when he realized it was her she saw a light blossom in those hazel orbs.

            “Emun, what a pleasant surprise.” He grinned at her, “come, sit down.”

            She slowly walked around his room, looking around. She was surprised by how clean it was, and it got her wondering. “Were you Alliance before all of this?”

            He chuckled, “I prefer to leave the Milky Way life behind me.”

            “That’s not an answer.” She said.

            “No, it isn’t.”

            “How am I supposed to trust you?” She asked.

            She watched his brows pop up, the look on his face saying he understood where she was coming from. “How do I know I can trust you too?”

            She huffed, sitting on the couch furthest from him. “I’m not the one running a shady smuggling operation in the port of exiles.”

            “Fair enough. I do trust you for the record. I know I’m asking a lot for you to trust me too, but I would never stab you in the back, Emun. You’re doing important things here. I hope someday you can establish an outpost. This place could benefit greatly from it.”

            “How will it benefit you? Planning to go legitimate?”

            “Perhaps.” He said and she watched him carefully; he was hiding a lot and she could see it in the way he was diverting her gaze at the moment. “So what brings you here? Other than to use your wiles to weaken my judgment and spill all of my dirty secrets.”

            “I don’t want your dirty secrets.”

            “But secrets nonetheless.” He smirked. “You’re definitely not as innocent as you look.”

            “Is there some reason people keep telling me that?” She asked evenly and he began to laugh.

            “You are a beautiful, mysterious woman, Emun. I find it hard to believe people are only just now noticing that.”

            “Flattery won’t work on me.”

            “Then I’m getting closer to what will work.” He winked at her and she felt her cheeks flush. Damn him. She straightened, squaring her shoulders, and standing up.

            “Want to help me with something?”

            She watched his eyes light up with interest. “You’re asking _me_ for a favor?”

            “Perhaps.”

            “I’m all ears.”

            “Have you been to the monoliths?” She asked.

            “Once, yes, but we couldn’t make them do anything and the remnant kept attacking. I decided it was a lost cause.”

            “I need to activate one more in order to open the vault.”

            “A vault you say?”

            “It’s what will help heal the heart of this planet.”

            She watched as he thought about it, but the grin never left his face. “Lead the way. I’m very curious about how you were able to make Eos better.”

            “I don’t fully understand it, but it works.”

            “Aren’t you worried about the effects?” He asked.

            “I was, but so far Eos hasn’t showed any signs of decay, and Voeld has also shown signs of improvement.”

            “Fascinating. You think it can cleanse the water here?” He asked as he followed her out into the slums.

            “That’s what I’m hoping.” She told him. They made their way over to the forward station and he went over towards the Nomad as she stripped off her clothes. She was already in her under suit, having planned on going out to the monolith with or without someone. She was planning on being careful, if there were too many remnant she would turn around, however, now that she had someone with her, she was sure this would be fine. If she didn’t die of the nerves this man sent her way first.

            She strapped on her leg bracers, finishing up with her arms and grabbed her guns. “Did you need any armor?”

            “I’ll be fine. I’ve dabbled in making my shields quite resilient. However, I will borrow this rifle. Mine is stashed… elsewhere.” He brushed past her at the loadout station, and she felt his presence beside her. He exuded confidence, but there was something deeper there, a possible insecurity that was well hidden. In her experience with watching people she’d found that the most outgoing, charming, and forthright ones were usually ones with deep seeded insecurities. He wanted approval and he’d been trying to impress her; she wasn’t stupid.

            They piled into the Nomad, both of them surprisingly left to their thoughts as they headed out into the darkening night. SAM had already informed her that it thought the vault might be somewhere close to the last monolith. Once there she noticed the little lights that were dancing around the monolith’s area.

            “We’ve got remnant.” She told him. “I’ll take them out if you don’t want to engage.”

            He scoffed, pulling out his rifle. “And let you have all the fun? Never.” He grinned at her, and she bit her lower lip trying not to laugh. It was hard not to want to be playful, but it was so foreign to her, she could feel her nerves surface. She supposed this was retribution for being so calm and professional at any and all other moments. It would figure she’d be a mess around a man she was attracted to, more so than the other few men she had briefly, very briefly, been with. She didn’t remember it being this difficult though.

            _‘Perhaps it’s because you like this one more than the others.’_ SAM quipped and her face fell. She watched Reyes make his way to a rock to look over the monolith and get a better vantage point.

            “SAM, now’s not the time. Never is the time.” She muttered low.

_‘Can I inform you that Mr. Vidal’s pulse quickens when you’re in his presence?’_

            She groaned, “Stop. Please.”  She quietly made her way to where he was posted.

            “Having a nice chat with SAM?” He grinned in the dim light.

            “Stop your pestering.” She told him.

            “Come now, Emun, must you always be so serious?” He chuckled.

            “We’re on a mission.” She said as a matter of fact. “That’s how I run things.”

            “We can still have a little fun.” He said, and she let out a sigh. “It won’t kill you.”

            She raised a brow, “Or it might? When it starts shooting at us?”

            “Details.” He waved his hand, readying his gun as he looked over the boulder they were behind.

            She had a thought and chewed on her lip for a moment, debating on whether or not she should say it. Something won the war within her head. “Whoever kills the most remnant wins.”

            He turned to her, she could see the surprise on his face even in the night. “What do I get if I win?”

            She was taken aback by that, sputtering as she struggled to respond. “You don’t get anything.”

            “Oh, come on, that’s not incentive.”

            “Forget I said anything. We should focus on the remnant.”

            He chuckled, hand on her arm as he eased her back beside him. “I’m not letting you off that easily. You came up with a game, and I’m willing to play.”

            “Fuck,” she groaned, “can’t we forget I mentioned this?”

            “Emun, relax, you don’t have to get so worked up.”

            She pursed her lips. “I’m not worked up.”

            “You are, it’s kind of cu—”

            “Call me cute one more time and I’ll shoot you.” She threatened and he had to hold his laughter in.

            “At least I’d have a nice scar to remember you by.”

            She was growing more and more flustered, almost regretting asking him to come out here, but secretly she felt a tiny thrill bubbling within her. “Let’s focus on the remnant. Please.”

            “Alright, but if I win, you owe me a drink. Is that fair?”

            She mulled it over, eyeing him suspiciously. “Only a drink?”

            He smirked, “Unless—”

            “Yes, it’s fair, only a drink.” She quickly said, standing to prop her black widow on the rock and quickly sniped a remnant. He seemed shocked that she hadn’t taken another moment to assess the situation, their weapons beginning to fire. She stopped paying attention to what he was doing and blasted another remnant to oblivion.

            She saw him darting around, beginning to fire his rifle and using his powerful shields to his advantage as he took a few out. He circled around once they’d taken them all out.

            “Three.” He said as he walked over to her.

            “Three.” She replied, tapping her flashlight at her shoulder to give them some light and he did the same. “Looks like the deal’s off.”

            “The night is still young,” he followed after her as she made her way over to the console.

            “There are three glyphs that require scanning, Pathfinder,” SAM said, and she held out her scanner.

            “So you just come out to these monoliths, scan for some glyphs and what?”

            “There’s a code that needs decrypting. Once I take care of that then it activates the monolith which will open the vault. This is the last one I need.” She followed the lines and continued to scan, gathering the glyphs she needed.

            “So why did you ask me to come, hm?”

            “Everyone else wanted a break.”

            “And you didn’t?” She glanced at him, then went back to following another lead to the third glyph. “Do you ever take a break? Relax?”

            “I do.”

            “For longer than a few hours?” He asked.

            She shrugged, “I need to keep myself busy.” To prevent herself from feeling the aching sense of being lost she felt. It was tough to keep her mind occupied. If working kept her from dwelling on her father’s death and Shannon still being in a coma then she would work. “I feel as though I’m racing against a clock. That the Kett will be one step ahead and I won’t have time to react.” She admitted, scanning the last glyph.

            “Did you always put the weight of the galaxy on your shoulders?”

            “No. I don’t want to disappoint…” She trailed off, realizing she was telling him private details about herself when she barely knew the man. A man who was keen on keeping secrets from her. “Never mind. It’s nothing.” She made her way back over to the console, hearing him let out a sigh as he looked around then finally ended up by her side.

            “You can trust me, Emun. I promise.”

            She glanced his way, he was giving her that look again, the look that was turning her insides into a mess. She swallowed hard, taking in a breath. She looked down at the console, and waved her hand over it, seeing the decryption puzzle projected into her mind. She quickly made work of it and gave him a softened grin.

            “Listen.” She informed him and he looked around. A light rumble sounded close by, the eerie creak and groan she was slowly becoming accustomed to surrounded them, echoed across the rocky outcroppings.

            “What is that noise?” He asked breathlessly, and she shrugged.

            “I have no idea. But it makes it every time we start these up.”

            They made their way back over to the Nomad and SAM piped up. _“Pathfinder, I’ve marked the vault on your nav point. It is not far from our current location.”_

            “Shall we?” Reyes smiled, gesturing towards the Nomad.

            “You want to go into the vault?”

            “Yes, I do.”

            “Alright then.” She said, driving them down to where the vault was supposed to be. Once they got closer, it began to lift from the ground, opening up to them, as if it was sensing that she was near.

            “Incredible.” Fascination laced his voice as he quickly got out of the Nomad. She followed suit and walked down into the opening. “How are you able to do all of this?”

            “It’s not me. It’s SAM. This must be some sort of bonding for him and the remnant I suppose.”

            “Was that supposed to be a joke?” He chuckled. “You’re full of surprises.”

            She glared at him while offering up a smirk, waving her hand to open the door. “Wait till you see what’s inside.” She told him, backing her way in and ushering him forward. He followed her in and she made her way towards where the gravity well was. She was smirking to herself as he stood next to her and she waved her hand to activate it.

            The floor began to open as tendrils of blue reached out to touch them. As a reaction, Reyes immediately grabbed her arm, and almost pulled her flush against him in a touch of panic. “What the fuck?” He breathed, amazed, fascinated as the gravity well began to pull them down. His other hand was holding onto her waist, and she stared at him, heart pounding so loud she could almost hear it in her ears. He was looking around as they descended, but she’d seen it all before. She hadn’t exactly expected him to grab onto her like this. She could feel the warmth touch her cheeks at how close he was in his bout of protectiveness.

            Her feet touched the floor and she nearly tumbled, but he held her steady. She hadn’t been paying attention, as her attention had been preoccupied by him.

            “What…” He breathed, “What is this place?”

            She shook herself from her thoughts, simmering heat coursing through her veins as she finally pulled herself from him, reluctant to part from his hold. “This is the vault.” She said, nearly as breathless as he was but for an entirely different reason. “Well, part of it.”

            They were in a room, typical for what she’d seen so far. She spotted a few consoles around and SAM informed her of the main one she needed to activate. She headed up the pathway and activated the console at the top, listening to the groans and moans the vault had to offer as it powered up.

            “This is incredible,” Reyes said as he looked around. “How do you figure this all out?”

            “I don’t without SAM.” She got to work, and he followed her once she’d opened the door leading further into the vault. They found themselves at a platform where she activated a few pillars to spring up from the well.

            She moved forward and was about to use her jump jet to get across to the raised pillars when Reyes stopped her. “Are you planning to leave me here?”

            “What?”

            “Unlike you, I don’t have one of those fancy jump jets. The Nexus doesn’t exactly supply us with those.”

            She stared at him a beat. “What do you expect me to do then?” He opened his arms and made a gesture, as if he was about to hug her. Raising a brow, she put her finger up and shook her head. “No. They’re not designed for more than one person.”

            He raised a brow. “Do you really know that for sure?”

            “I don’t particularly want to find out by way of falling into hazardous material.”

            “Just give it some extra power. We’ll be fine.” He waved a hand.

            Before she could offer up a rebuttal SAM decided to add his two cents. _“Ryder, the jump jets are designed to accommodate excessive weight. Drack weighs—”_

            She put her hand up to her forehead and let out a sigh. “Thanks, SAM.”

            “I think your fancy AI likes me.” He said smugly.

            “Quit your posturing, Reyes.”

            “Again, we can have a little fun.”

            She bit her cheek, “I’m not interested in the kind of fun you’re talking about.” She lied, because she knew deep down she was more than interested.

            “I wasn’t talking about _that_ kind of fun, but if _you’re_ thinking of it—”

            “Hush. Now,” She backed a good distance away from the edge and Reyes sidled up next to her, putting his arm around her waist. She tried to ignore the way her heart beat just a little faster at having him close again, and began to count. “One, two, three!” They began to run. “Jump!” She yelled and she gripped him around his waist too, jettisoning them up and onto the pillar tumbling into a heap. She began to roll and let out a tiny yelp as he grabbed onto her before she could roll over the edge. He was leaning over her, looking down at her, eyes smoldering in that bedroom stare of his, and she found she couldn’t tear herself away. She’d grabbed onto his jacket when he’d caught her, and she loosened her grip, tapping his shoulder when she was finally able to tear herself from his gaze. She couldn’t get over the way he looked at her. It was as if he was savoring her, yet all he was doing was looking into her eyes.

            _‘Pathfinder, Mr. Vidal seems to—’_

            ‘SAM!’ She inwardly shouted, hoping that would shut him up without her having to yell about it aloud. “Are we finished here?” Poor choice of words and she let out an exasperated sigh. He chuckled, getting up and grabbing her hands to haul her up before she could protest. “I think you can make this jump.” She said and hopped over to the next platform.

            “Aw, but our way was much more fun.” He jumped over too and she stopped him, then motioned for them to get behind a small barrier.

            “Remnant.” She told him and she watched the creatures at work, not knowing of their presence so far.

            “Do you know what they do exactly?” She could see his curiosity piquing once again. She’d caught him more than once staring at the cavernous space in awe. It wasn’t much different than the other two, and though she was still fascinated by it, she really had seen it before. It was actually fun getting to see someone else experience something new like this. He’d been on Kadara, and whatever his job was before the uprising, he’d come out here for a purpose to. Exploration was on nearly everyone’s minds regarding Andromeda, and they were all curious souls at heart.

            “No,” She finally answered. “Just that they shoot at me when I get near.”

            “Do they frighten you?”

            “No. Why?”

            He shrugged, “Strange aliens, synthetic creatures in a new galaxy? Who wouldn’t be a little frightened? Although, I’m getting the impression that you probably watched movies like that old classic Alien to help you sleep at night.”

            She narrowed her eyes. “Funny.”

            “I’m right, aren’t I?”

            “No!” She whispered loudly. “Besides, our mum wouldn’t let us watch scary vids until we were older. But… dad had already let us watch them…”

            He began to laugh and she shushed him, placing her hand over his mouth. He raised a brow and she immediately withdrew, pulling out her black widow to hide her increasing embarrassment. “Back to business,” he smirked, “we can’t have any more of your irresponsibility.”

            “Right.” She huffed, peering through her scope, watching their movements. She heard him gather his rifle and take aim in case they descended upon them. She popped the one closest, the others not noticing their fallen comrade just yet as she took out the second one.

            The others were still milling about a little further away and Reyes glanced over. “I could get you a better modified silencer. Definitely better than what the Nexus has, and it’ll probably decrease your damage less than what you have.”

            She glanced sideways at him and raised a brow. “Through what means?”

            “All legal, of course.”

            “Sounds like a bunch of shite to me.”

            “Look, Emun—” she took another shot, effectively silencing him for the moment and he quickly looked to make sure the remnant weren’t coming their way yet. “I’m not going to steal it.”

            “It’s already stolen.”

            “But _I_ didn’t steal it. Details. You have to make do with what you can around here. I can make things easier for you, if you let me.”

            She sighed, “fine. No, wait. I don’t need Vetra asking questions about where I got it.” She was already getting looks and questions from the Turian about what was up with Reyes. She didn’t need her thinking he liked her. Or that _she_ liked him. Even though… She shook her thoughts once again.

            “Then I’ll give it to Vetra.”

            “Then she’ll know you got it for me.”

            He chuckled softly, “Emun, I’m doing you a favor, because you did me a favor.”

            She shifted slightly, “Everyone will start to talk.”

            He shrugged, “let them talk. I didn’t think you were the type to care what people thought of you.”

            “I don’t. I just don’t want people talking about my private life… no, wait, I didn’t mean—” she heard him chuckle again. She reloaded a clip and she popped off three successive shots to take out the last of them. “Looks like that’s it. Moving on now.”

            They continued to make their way deeper into the vault until they’d finally come across the chamber. “SAM, do you detect any remnant beyond the door?”

            _“Yes, although I’m not able to calculate how many. Based on previous observations, there may be eight.”_

            “Be ready.”

            “Always am,” He told her, pulling out his gun. She switched to her avenger, knowing that this was going to be a closer proximity fight. Holding up her hand she opened the door, moving to the side as Reyes did the same on his end, and they were able to slip in and get into cover before the remnant took aim. She opened fire, hearing Reyes doing the same, and one of the flyers got close. She overloaded it, stunning it for the moment, then pulled out her sword and slashed it in half. She heard something behind her, but before she could react, Reyes shot it down.

            They continued forward, taking out the remnant that came after them. They didn’t get overwhelmed, which was what she was hoping for, and after a while they were able to pick them all off cleanly. She noticed his precision when he worked. He had to have been Alliance in some sort of caliber. It was bothering her that she didn’t know more about him, and she wanted to know; she was too damn curious for her own good.

            “I think that’s all of them,” He said, “unless you know better,” he continued to look around the chamber and she nodded.

            “Usually that’s the lot of them. Take them out and then they’re gone.” She moved over to the console after sweeping the room for any salvageable tech. “This part’s tricky.”

            “How so?”

            “When I activate this the vault will activate a purification failsafe. It’s happened in both Eos and Voeld. SAM says it’s not safe. Something about organic material being incinerated.” She said calmly and did it more so to see if he’d squirm.

            “You’re joking, right?” When she didn’t say no and continued to fiddle with the console he placed his hands on his hips. “Shit. Maybe you should have lead with this before we came to the Vault? Instead you enticed me into this.”

            “You came of your own volition. I asked you if you wanted to go along and you said yes.”

            “You failed to tell me this place could kill us.”

            Her brow furrowed a moment. “You’re a smuggler on a planet with poison water, whose chief port is being run by a woman who will exile you, if you don’t follow her rules, into a literal wasteland. You’re worried about this killing you?”

            She watched him frown for a change. “Good point. I guess. But I’d prefer not to be incinerated.”

            “Then you better keep up. I don’t want to either, and I’m not waiting for you.”

            “Hah, you wouldn’t leave me behind. I’m pretty sure that you like—”

            “Activating the vault now,” She loudly interrupted him, and he stood close by her.

            _“The purification field has now become active.”_ SAM informed them and she tapped him on the shoulder.

            “Let’s move.” She began to run and he followed right beside her. She had to admit, though she was calm in most situations, she really didn’t want to be caught in that cloud. Adrenaline spiked and coursed throughout her body when this happened. They quickly made their way out until they finally made it back to the entrance, Reyes still running to the gravity well.

            “What are you doing?” He called.

            “Closing the door,” She panted, touching the console and watched as it shut, keeping the cloud at bay.

            _“The vault is now activated.”_ SAM informed them and she turned to see Reyes catching his breath.

            “So that’s it?” He asked, and she nodded.

            “Pretty soon the water should start improving.”

            “Just like that?” He asked incredulously.

            “It would seem so.”

            “I think I’ve had enough of the vault, let’s go.” He said and she activated the gravity well letting it take them up. Once outside she watched him collapse himself onto the ground on his back letting out a sigh. “I didn’t think I’d be so happy to be back outside.”

            “Afraid?” She smirked.

            “I’m man enough to admit that yes, that was just a tad terrifying. Especially watching you galivanting around inside, carelessly flipping switches like there wouldn’t be a cloud of death about to surround you. You should be more careful.”

            “I should be more careful?” She raised a brow as she stood over him. “You’re lying here like a fiend won’t descend upon you at any moment.”

            He scoffed, “Emuuun,” he drawled, “you can hear those things a mile away. Now just relax and lie here for a moment.”

            “What? Why?” She shifted her feet as she looked away from him, scanning the area around them to make sure no creatures were in the surrounding area.

            “To watch the stars.” He told her seriously and she swallowed, breath escaping her for a moment at his proclamation. He let out a sigh, “take a moment to see a bigger picture of what it is that you’re doing. It won’t kill you to lie idle, not working, for just one moment.”

            She grumbled for a moment before she sat down beside him and looked up. It truly was incredible, new stars and different patterns. She missed Orion’s belt, however, and it made her think of Shannon. They both had a pattern of assorted freckles dotting their bodies, not so much a cluster on their faces as it was just a few here and there dotting their cheeks and forehead. They both, oddly enough, had the same three freckles on their left cheek, in a line akin to Orion’s Belt. It’d been pointed out many times, and she always liked the comparison, especially since they were practically children of the stars.

            She stared up at the twinkling lights in the sky, really took them in for the first time here. It was incredible, and even more incredible to realize that this was a whole new galaxy. It was Andromeda. Suddenly she had a pang of longing for the Milky Way, but she didn’t dwell on it. Andromeda may not have been everything they thought it’d be, coupled with several hurdles and hardships, but it was beautiful so far. She laid back, ignoring the obvious presence of him beside her, though it was blaringly obvious how close he was.

            She probably should’ve sat further away from him, but she’d gravitated toward him, and she knew she was already inadvertently making it obvious that she was attracted to him. He wasn’t stupid, and he knew how he affected her already. She wanted to groan about it, but again, she’d just make the smug bastard even more self-assured.

            “See, Kadara’s not so bad.”

            “It kind of is, but I’ll admit that it’s not as bad as I initially thought.”

            “Because of me, right?”

            “Reyes,” she groused.

            “I’m just joking with you, Emun.” He chuckled as he propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at her. “You know, we’ve had quite a romantic evening aside from the almost getting killed by an ominous cloud of death.”

            Her eyes widened, “No. No it wasn’t.” She denied amidst his laughter.

            “You make it so easy to tease you.” He said as she put her hands to her face trying to cool down the heat in her cheeks with the coolness of her armor. “Shall we head back? You are right about the creatures around here. We should probably get going.” She heard him stand and she took one more good look at the galaxy splayed above her, watching him as he looked to the sky one more time as well. He turned his attention back down to her, and before she could haul herself up, he offered his hands to pull her up once more.

            She didn’t linger, worried that with everything they’d gone through so far that she’d be tempted to bridge the gap that had been slowly diminishing since the day they’d met. She fiddled with her fingers as she made her way towards the Nomad, and their ride was quiet for most of the way back. He was tired, as was she, they’d expended a lot of energy and the adrenaline rush from the run had begun to wear off.

            They’d made it back to the forward station, and she hopped out to deposit her secondary gear inside it. Once she was back down to her under suit she caught sight of Reyes lazily watching her. She ignored it for the moment as she put on her clothes. The want for sleep was plaguing her, almost in a haze at this point. He said nothing either, and it was almost as bad as if he had said something.

            “You don’t have to wait for me.” She finally told him, putting on her boots and shrugging into her jacket.

            “Nonsense, a gentleman makes sure a lady makes it home alright.”

            She scoffed, raising a brow. “I hardly think I’m lady material which is about as farfetched as you being a gentleman.”

            He let out a fake gasp, “Ouch. I’ve been nothing but a model gentleman since we met.”

            She raised a brow, both their faces tinged with sleep as she began to walk towards the slums.  “I’m not going to get into tearing down that statement.” She drawled and he softly laughed. “SAM, put a lockdown on the Nomad and the forward station and activate the alerts.”

            _“Of course, Pathfinder.”_

            They found themselves at the lift and he took it up with her. She couldn’t persuade him to let her walk herself back to the Tempest. Once up to the docking port, she stopped when they found themselves down the hallway that lead to where the Tempest was resting.

            “I’m pretty sure I can find my way back from here.” She crossed her arms.

            “I don’t know, if something happened to you on this short walk back, I would have to harm a lot of people. I can’t take that chance.” He was dangerously close, voice lower, thicker with how tired they both were. He moved closer and she touched her back against the wall as he slowly placed one hand against it beside her head.

            She found herself dazed as she locked her eyes with his darkened hazel hues. She hadn’t realized that she’d placed her hands at his waist, simultaneously keeping him at bay or ready to pull him in at a moment’s notice.

            “I would say this is the part where we kiss to end the night, but I don’t kiss on the first date.” He smirked, voice husky and low.

            She took in a shaky breath, nerves on fire. A part of her was screaming at her to move away, he was bad news, he was trouble, and she couldn’t trust him. Yet there was a growing part of her that wanted to take that chance, wanted to not think about the consequences for a change. He wanted her, that was obvious, and as much as she wanted to deny it, she wanted him to. Her head moved a fraction of an inch towards him, closer, almost without her permission before she came to her senses.

            “This wasn’t a date,” She moved her hands to his chest to softly nudge him away, enough to where she ducked under his arm and made her way up the path that lead to the Tempest.

            She could hear his soft laughter reaching her ears, while most of her body felt on fire. “Goodnight, Emun.” He called back to her, and she waved a hand, resisting the urge to look back at him.

            He was going to drive her crazy; in all the bad ways as well as good.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not super thrilled with this chapter, but I hope it's alright ^^ I just worry about there not being lots of action and if it's boring D: Anyway, I still enjoyed writing it :3 Thanks to everyone reading so far! You all make this lowly writer's day, and it's been fueling my desire to write! <3

            There was a weight at the edge of her bed, but she was too tired to move and for a change she didn’t care that she was sleeping in. It was way past the normal time she usually dragged herself from her bed, but staying out all night and working a mission usually saved for three people and plenty of rest beforehand had definitely worn her out.

            “Well, she was in really late. Or really early depending on how you look at it. I’d say about four-thirty.” She heard Gil’s voice, and another shift at the edge of her bed.

            “Was she out with someone?” Peebee’s voice floated close by and she realized someone else was also present.

            “Come on, this is Ryder we’re talking about. She wouldn’t have gone for a hookup, especially not on Kadara.” Cora said, and she mentally rolled her eyes in the place between being awake and still asleep. “SAM said she went to the last monolith yesterday, AND activated the vault! I can’t believe she’d do this without us! It’s unlike her.”

            “You guys, Ryder’s a work horse. Everyone was complaining about how tired they were, of course she went off on her own to do it.” Gil stated. “Besides, she’s a sniper. It’s not uncommon for them to venture out on their own, lone wolf and all.”

            “Hey, Ryder up yet?” She could hear Vetra as her door opened. She made a mental note to remind SAM to lock her quarters when she went to sleep. Usually she took care of that, but she forgot because she was so tired, and admittedly her mind was in other places.

            “No, she was out all night. Apparently she activated the vault! But who’d she go with? I can’t see her going completely alone.” Cora spoke.

            Emun finally let out a groan, grabbing the pillow and putting it over her head; she could almost see Vetra smirking in her own way.

            “She was probably with Reyes.” Shit.

            “Ey, Ryder, you awake yet?” Gil touched her foot and she kicked at him.

            “Don’t touch my feet, please.” She groused, shifting and curling her knees up.

            “Wait, you said she was with Reyes Vidal? The smuggler?” Peebee asked. “I hardly see that guy being her type.”

            “I don’t know. They kind of have a thing going. It’s kind of cute.”

            “No.” She said, voice muffled from underneath the pillow. “There’s not. There’s no thing.”

            She could hear Vetra laughing. “Just be careful, Ryder. We don’t know if we can trust him. Just because we’ve done business with him doesn’t mean he’s got an ulterior motive.”

            She responded with a grunt and Gil slapped her back. “Alright, get some sleep. Let’s go. She’ll be even less fun if we don’t let her get any sleep today. We don’t want to see what level of grouch she can actually ascend to.”

            “Funny.” She deadpanned, effectively kicking Gil off her bed and heard Peebee giggling as the weight from the two of them finally disappeared.

            “Alright, guys, the Pathfinder is off limits today. Leave her be.” Cora ordered. “Let’s go.”

            She heard them leave, relaxing when the quiet found her once more. Yet now she was somewhat awake, though still drained, she just felt the wheels beginning to turn and all the problems she was avoiding were beginning to bubble up in her mind. This was why she worked, why she kept herself so busy, so idle thoughts about her family didn’t try to shatter her to pieces.

            “SAM…” She softly called out. “Can you close the shutters?”

            “Yes, Ryder. Would you like me to play some music? Your mind is wandering again. Perhaps we should head to the Nexus to see if there’s any improvement in Shannon.”

            “Thanks, SAM.” She said quietly, listening to a soft piece of classical music waft through her cabin. She rolled onto her stomach, staring out into the darkness, listening to the sweet lilt of the violins and eventually was able to ease her wandering thoughts and fall back asleep.

 

\---

 

            Reyes found himself in the market, obtaining various goods he thought Emun and her crew might like. He didn’t know much about them, but he’d found a few contacts from the Nexus that at least knew of a few of her crew members and what they did. Vetra would be simple, Drack too, he’d seen the old Krogan around before and knew of his reputation. But he didn’t know exactly what her human and Asari cohorts would want. He tried to get a bunch of comfort items, things he knew the humans would miss from their Milky Way days, things that the Asari and Salarian crew would like as well.

            But it was all for his own benefit so he could sneak in that high-grade silencer for Emun without her crew thinking he was doing something specifically for her. He could deny it all he wanted, but he was genuinely interested in her, and he liked her more than he’d liked anyone in a long time. She was fun despite what she projected. In her own little way she had this light about her despite trying to hide it. He wanted to know more about her, but he didn’t want to push her boundaries.

            He could tell he was slowly breaking down her walls. He didn’t think she would’ve sought him out then asked him on a mission otherwise. She hadn’t revealed herself to be that type, and from what Vetra had said, he gathered she didn’t often ask for favors. Despite her protests, he respected that she wanted to keep her private life private. It’s not as though he wasn’t doing the same, and then some.

            He knew he should tell her that he was the Charlatan. It was nagging at him, and not only that he could see the terrible fallout from not telling her. They had a good beginning so far, and he wanted to continue the little thing that they had going, even if she tried to deny there was something. He felt something there; he knew he couldn’t deny it and when he caught her eyes he saw the same look he was giving her staring right back at him. Interest, intrigue, a magnetism. He was drawn to her without really knowing why.

            “Reyes Vidal,” He turned his attention towards one of the few friends he actually had.

            “Ah, Keema! Good to see you. Did you get those items I asked about?”

            “Yes, I did actually. So why this sudden interest in taking care of the Pathfinder’s team?”

            He scoffed, “What do you mean?”

            “You always have a reason, Reyes. We’ve known each other for quite some time. I’ve heard about the Pathfinder; you’re quite smitten with her aren’t you?”

            “What?” He couldn’t hide the grin that came to his face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Keema.”

            “Are you blushing? Oh, this is adorable. You really like her don’t you?”

            “She’s an intriguing person. And she’s really helping Kadara.” He looked inside the sack Keema had handed him, seeing everything he’d asked for that an Anagaran would like.

            “Have you told her?” She asked him, and they began to walk away from the crowd.

            “No…” He took a deep breath, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m… Afraid of what she might think.”

            “You really ought to tell her, before things go too far.”

            He chuckled, “Trust me, Keema. Things won’t go that far that fast. She’s… Well, she’s complicated.”

            “Do you think she likes you?”

            He grinned again, “Yes, I think so. She tries to deny it, but we’ve had a few moments that have made me sure.”

            “Ooh, moments, you say?” She shifted her weight to the other hip.

            “It’s nothing, just… Little things.” He shook his head.

            “You really do like her. Have you slept with her?”

            “Keema, please. A gentleman does not kiss and tell, but if you must know… We haven’t even kissed.”

            She began to chuckle. “Oh, you have it bad, Reyes. This is delightful. So when can I meet the Pathfinder? I’ve already heard so much about her from my people. I spoke with Jaal and he says she’s peculiar for a human. He doesn’t understand how she doesn’t express her emotions, saying that even for a human that’s strange.”

            “That would be an understatement. She’s guarded, but that’s what makes things fun. I’m not sure when you can meet her. We, well she, activated the vault last night.”

            “Is that what all the fuss has been about today? People are saying the water’s not smelling as putrid.”

            “I would not have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself, Keema. It was incredible. I mean we almost died in the process, but still.”

            “Ever the dramatic one,” She chuckled. “Well, you might want to hurry up and get this stuff delivered then. Who knows when she’ll be off, or when she’ll be back.”

            His smile had turned down, he hadn’t thought of that. When was she going to come back?

            “Might want to say your goodbyes.”

            They parted ways and he made his way to the docks. When he’d finished with his business there he was just about to head towards the Tempest when he saw her coming up from the lift from the slums. She still looked tired, he probably did too, but he smiled when she noticed him, and he took a deep breath as he waltzed his way over.

            “Fancy meeting you here,” he quipped and watched her roll her eyes.

            “I was actually just looking for you.” She crossed her arms, trying to look indifferent, but he could see her fingers tapping against her arm.

            “You were looking for me, hm?”

            “I knew that was coming.” She let out a sigh, but he could see the slightest of smiles touch her mouth. He wanted to feel what those lips felt like against his.

            “What?” He chuckled innocently, “I meant nothing behind that.”

            She scoffed, “Uh huh. We’re leaving for the Nexus.” She told him.

            “I figured as much. Are you here to say goodbye then?” He was trying not to look so sad and pathetic, but even if he hadn’t seen her constantly since he’d met her, he still had enjoyed her presence.

            “Not quite. I’m here to say thank you.”

            “For what?” He asked. It wasn’t as if she knew what he’d done yet.

            “For coming along last night. Sorry I didn’t tell you about the vault.”

            He laughed, “I was only messing with you about that. Well, partly.”

            “Still, I appreciated the help.”

            “So what’s next then?”

            She shrugged, “I need to take care of some things first.”

            “Secret affairs?” He was waiting for the glare and he tried not to laugh when it appeared. She was unpredictable, but then she was so predictable at the same time. He could nearly read every move she’d make, and she made it worse when she reacted to his flirtations the way she did.

            “I’m definitely going to miss your incredible wit and charm.” Sarcasm practically dripped from her voice and he gave her a smug look.

            “Don’t lie to yourself. Secretly you’ve enjoyed our interactions.”

            “How do you figure?” She crossed her arms.

            “Because I’m paying attention to you. To the way you react, how you look at me.”

            “What, with loathe and disdain?”

            He smirked, “Not quite.”

            “Anyway,” she veered him off his path and reeled him right back in. She was rather good at that, and as much as she fell into the innuendos, she always managed to reel him in and back on task. “If you need anything let me know.”

            “How am I supposed to do that.”

            She rolled her eyes. “Don’t act like you don’t already have my contact information. I know better.”

            He smirked. “It was given to me.”

            “Sure it was. So… I’ll see you.”

            Before she could turn he grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, settling his lips against her cheek, feeling the warmth quickly rise there. “Just think about it.” He whispered low, and to his surprise she hadn’t moved away from him, hadn’t backed away. She gave him that look, the look she had in her eyes when he’d first backed her against the wall last night, faces mere inches apart. Her hand was on his arm, and he wanted to attempt to close the gap, but he didn’t want to do that just yet.

            “Think about what?” Her voice was low, and the way she was looking at him set his heart racing.

            “About us.” He finally said, and he had to slip away or else he really would kiss her properly. It would be too fast to cross that line. He wanted her, that meant he had to work hard to gain her interest as well. She was well worth the chase and certainly well worth the fight to keep her wanting him too.

 

\----

 

            Being back on the Nexus wasn’t exactly her favorite thing. The constant aroma of politics wafting about in the air made her nauseous, however she was still smugly smiling over her conversation with Tann and Addison regarding Kadara and making it viable for operations. The look on both their faces was priceless when she told them she activated the vault and wanted to place an outpost there.

            She could see the subtle clench of Tann’s jaw, hear his grumblings about the exiles, which ended up in him making stipulations regarding the timing of the placement of the outpost. She had to quell the mounting problems there, and she told them she’d take care of it much to their chagrin.

            She figured she’d need to ask Reyes more about the Collective and what he knew about this Charlatan character. No one apparently knew who it was, mounting in Kadara’s biggest guessing game and mystery. She would’ve thought someone would’ve emerged by now, but they were quite good at keeping their identity in check.

            She was on her way to the Hyperion, wanting to see Shannon, despite knowing there was no change considering no one had contacted her. She finally made it to the med bay, Harry greeting her, telling her what she’d already suspected.

            He looked so peaceful sleeping there, it was the most peaceful she’d ever seen her restless brother look. She wondered if he was dreaming, or screaming to get out of a prison he knew he was trapped in. She didn’t feel guilty often, but she still felt guilty over lying to him. It’d been hard to talk to him, she’d refused SAM’s suggestion at first, until it ate at her for a bit and she had to do it.

            She had hoped that he wouldn’t ask about dad, but she lied. SAM had been curious that she had. Emun wasn’t one to sugarcoat and lie; she was usually brutally honest, so it had confused him when she chose not to tell him the truth. It didn’t seem right to tell him while he was out. As hard it would be, she wanted to tell him face to face.

            Standing over his bed, she grabbed his hand and offered a squeeze. “Hurry up, Shan…” She frowned, brows furrowed. “I can’t do this all by myself…” She muttered quietly, taking a deep breath and quickly saying bye to Harry.

            She needed to preoccupy her thoughts, so she went back to the Tempest to do something. Anything. Once back on board, she found that Lexi, Gil, Jaal, and Liam were going through a few bags that she hadn’t noticed down in the cargo bay.

            “Oh, Vetra’s going to love this!” She saw Gil pull out a large bag of Graxen. “Oh, shit, ey Liam look at this!”

            “Oh sweet, beer! Lexi, there’s even some of that wine you like.”

            “Really?” Lexi made her way over to the bags they were looking through. “Oh, it’s a fine bottle of it. Where did all of this come from?”

            Liam tossed a bag to Jaal who caught it, curiosity causing him to look through the bags as well. “Mate, I think that’s for you. Lots of goodies from your world!”

            “Oh, what a fine selection.” She watched Jaal smile, and thought how it’d been a while since she had even seen him smile like that. Before the problems on Voeld really.

            Emun’s lips parted as she watched them pulling out various items. There were a few weapon mods too, mostly for shotguns, and a few other things that Kallo might like, then tech that Gil was fawning over. Then she saw it, eyes widening when Liam pulled out a silencer mod from the bag. He didn’t. She swept over there, and before she could grab it out of his hands he handed it over.

            “I think that’s for you. Nice piece of work for you widow.” He placed it in her palms and she stared at it a beat.

            He went through all of this trouble to find items that her crew would like… Just so he could sneak this damn thing in here? She couldn’t help the silly smile that spread to her lips, and she tried to wipe it away when she heard the silence creep in around her.

            “What’s that smile for, Emmy?” Liam asked.

            “Nothing… It’s nothing.” She pursed her lips, trying to keep the swell of excitement that was touching her. She separated from the group and walked back towards the hallway that lead to their quarters, but stopped short. She hadn’t had someone go out their way like this to impress her. And that cheeky bastard was using her crew to get to her. He was shameless, but she was secretly enjoying it, feeling her heart flutter at the thought. He knew exactly what he was doing, and she hated to think she was falling for it.

            _‘Perhaps Mr. Vidal is being more genuine than you think, Ryder.’_ She rolled her eyes. _‘I’m interested to see how your relationship develops.’_ Could you be any more obvious, SAM? She inwardly asked, but got no response. Her AI was worse than a gossiping teenage girl, wanting to know every scandal and hookup the school had to offer. _‘There are new messages at your terminal, Ryder. One of them is from Mr. Vidal.’_

            “Good god, SAM.” She muttered when she heard footsteps behind her.

            “Ryder, can we talk for a minute?” Lexi asked, and she followed the Asari into her med bay. “How are you feeling? Just a few days ago you were on a solo night mission to the vault. I’m not going to lecture you—well, yes I am. That was reckless of you.”

            “I wasn’t alone.”

            “Then who were you with? This Reyes Vidal I’ve been hearing about?” She glanced to her right trying to avoid Lexi’s stare. “Vetra says he’s a smuggler. You helped him solve those murders, right?”

            “Yes.”

            “Well?”

            Emun raised a brow, “Well, what?”

            “I may be a workaholic, Emun, but I’m not blind. All of that stuff is from him, isn’t it? Clearly it was more for your benefit than the rest of us.”

            Emun let out a sigh, already regretting that she was about to actually talk about this and verbalize it, but she knew Lexi wouldn’t tease her about this like the others would. “He flirts with me… A lot.”

            Lexi couldn’t hide the grin that came to her lips. “I can only imagine how you’re handling that.”

            “Poorly,” She groaned, leaning against one of the tables.

            “What? My calm, unemotional curmudgeon can’t handle a man flirting with her.”

            “It’s… Not just ‘a man’ it’s _this_ man.” She shook her head, feeling her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this.”

            Lexi let out a soft giggle, “Please, go on. I’ll take a break from work just to see a different side to my favorite enigma.”

            Emun couldn’t help the small smile touching her lips. “I don’t know why he makes me so flustered.” She muttered.

            “Dear, I hate to break it to you, but you’re smitten with this man. That’s why you’re flustered.” They were quiet for a moment until Lexi piped up again. “What do you know about him?”

            “Not much. I tried to dig into his file on the Nexus, but it was corrupted like so many others. Something about him possibly being a pilot and a call sign of Anubis.” She shrugged. “He’s hiding something, but I just… I don’t feel threatened by him.”

            “Anubis? Sounds a bit daunting. However, you’ve always been a good judge of character. I say trust your gut. Plus, I’m curious to see this play out.”

            “I didn’t think you were the type for idle gossip.” Emun said standing up straight.

            “Not exactly, but I want to see you happy. So if I can see that smile I just saw out there back on my friend’s face, I’ll take it.” Lexi smiled.

            They chatted a little longer; Lexi had insight on Shannon’s coma, and she let her know that Harry had been keeping her informed of his condition. Everything was fine, he just needed more time to wake up. She promised she’d keep their conversation private, and with that Emun left for her quarters. She tried to resist, but she went straight to her terminal to read her messages.

            She read Reyes’s email, a small smile on her face the whole time. He tried to be smooth, telling her he was talking up her handling of the Roekaar, about the waves she was making on Kadara. Others were starting to come around, and he mentioned hearing something about the Charlatan saying she wasn’t to be harmed.

            Interesting, she thought, and she wondered why the Charlatan was taking interest in her when their people still thought it fun to shoot at her while out and about in Kadara. Which brought her to Sloane’s people. She’d done a few odd jobs for Sloane and Kaetus, if only to keep them off her back and to get rid of the Kett problem. She didn’t want to do it for them, it just happened that way, and oddly enough, they thought she was on their side, and she wondered how they got that impression.

            It wasn’t as if she was polite to them. They probably confused professionalism with a genuine interest in their plot. She wanted to bring those smug assholes down. Besides, Kadara belonged to the Angara; she didn’t think it was right that the exiles came in and took things over.

            She stared back down at the email reading the last few lines. _When are you coming back? Things are already dull without you frowning my way. P.S. Hope you find time to test your new scope. It was all for you._

            She couldn’t tear her eyes from that last sentence. _It was all for you_.

            Damn him. And yet… She was smiling.

 

\----

 

            It’d only been a couple weeks and already she was back on Kadara. Everything had been a mess with this mission, a missing patient and a contagious, incurable disease. She’d gotten a little criticism from her crew on how she ended up handling it. She let the Angaran kill the woman, which was just as bad if she had shot the woman herself. She didn’t feel guilty about it, nor did she feel the need to apologize. Was it unfortunate? Yes. However, she shouldn’t have been woken up to begin with.

            She let out a sigh as she sat in Kralla’s Song with Drack. They were both having a drink, and she was easily the most at ease with him. Right now he was one of the few who didn’t seem to be upset with her decision to let the woman die.

            “Kid, you win some and you lose some. It was a tough decision. You made the right call. I don’t want to think about Kesh getting sick because someone was too stupid to be patient.”

            “I know it was the right decision. I don’t feel guilty about it. Seems that everyone has more of a problem with that fact.”

            “Ah, don’t worry, they’ll get their quads out of a twist when they really sit back to think about it. You’ve got guts, Ryder. You make the hard calls when no one’s willing to step up and make them. It’s why your old man made you Pathfinder. He knew what you were capable of.”

            She smiled, though it was small, and took a sip of her drink. “Thank you Drack.”

            “Ah,” he groaned, “don’t thank me. I’m just being honest.”

            “It’s appreciated.” She told him, not knowing what she would’ve done here if Drack hadn’t barreled into her life. She glanced up and saw Reyes, butterflies immediately erupting in her stomach when he spotted her and made eye contact. She almost couldn’t stand _feeling_ like this; it was so foreign to actually be attracted to someone and have them reciprocate. The men she’d slept with before, sure they were attractive to her, but she didn’t _feel_ anything for them.

            “Ah, Pathfinder, I heard you were back. I’m a little hurt you didn’t stop by.”

            “I’ve been a little busy.”

            “I’ve heard.”

            “You got ears everywhere or somethin’, Vidal?” Drack asked.

            “I’m well-informed. I wouldn’t be good at what I do if I wasn’t.”

            Emun shifted in her seat watching him intently. “What can I do for you?” She asked. “And if you lead with some smart ass comment I may throw something at you today. I’m not in the mood… And I’m not paying for your drinks either.”

            He laughed, sitting down at their table. “Well then, now that all those bases are covered, I have a problem that maybe you can help me with. I had a very big payoff regarding a shipment I was handling. Unfortunately, a business rival lifted the cargo I was moving for a client.”

            “What’s in it for me?” She asked, leaning forward on the table. She was starting to become a little more comfortable in his presence, though she could still feel the nerves that swept in when he was near.

            “We could work out a deal on the profits,” he bobbed his head, mulling it over, and she glanced over at Drack who was watching her expectantly.

            “What exactly is this cargo?” When he didn’t say anything she let out a sigh. “Did you even ask?”

            “Honor’s got a price,” he held his hand up, “the client paid extra for discretion.”

            She heard Drack begin to laugh; she knew he was chuckling about her need to do things by the book She resisted the urge to tell him no; Drack and Vetra were right, things were different out here in Andromeda and if she was going to be successful she might need to bend the rules. It’s not as if she was the only one trying to follow the rules and needing to bend them considering Liam was having the same problems. “We split the profits fifty/fifty.” Drack nearly spit his drink out and Reyes began to chuckle to himself, smirk splaying on his lips.

            “How about sixty/forty?”

            “If you screw me over I’ll hunt you down.” She threatened.

            “I have no doubts about that.”

            “That makes two of us,” Drack backed her up.

            Reyes held his hands up, shrugging his shoulders. “Have I lead you astray yet?”

            Drack interjected before she could respond, “There’s always a chance that mouth of yours will find you in trouble, Vidal. Don’t take her down with you; you’ll have big problems if you do.”

            He nodded, “I promise you have nothing to worry about.” Though she could see something behind his eyes, a hint of worry, but he quickly covered it up. “She usually drinks here when she’s in town. We could talk to Umi and see if she has any information.”

            “This isn’t going to cost me, is it?” She raised a brow.

            “Would I _ever_ do that to you?” He grinned, taking a stand and she followed.

            “Ah, if it isn’t the lovebirds.” Umi snarked when they got up there and Emun frowned. “If you two start flirting again, I’m going to hurl. Get a room, please.”

            “We don’t need a room!” Emun protested dryly. “It’s not like that.”

            Umi rolled her eyes and she felt Reyes pat her shoulder. “It’s alright, dear, we can find better accommodations elsewhere.”

            She let out a groan, placing her hand to her forehead. “We need information, please.”

            “Have you seen Zia around?” He asked and she saw Umi smirk and glance back her way.

            “You mean your _ex_.” She said and Emun’s eyes narrowed as she frowned at the Asari.

            Reyes coughed, shifting uncomfortably, “she was hardly an ex, Umi.” He kept glancing her way and she let out a sigh, turning around and leaning her back against the bar.

            “Information, please,” She almost barked, crossing her arms, and trying to hold back her want to scream that they thought she’d be jealous. Everyone had exes, or a past, it didn’t matter. She couldn’t care less who the man fucked before.

            “Was she with anyone the last time she was here?”

            “Am I getting paid for this?” Umi asked and she saw Reyes glance her way.

            “I paid for your drinks. You can pay her for information.” Emun glared at him.

            He laughed, “but I would owe you a favor, and you’re one person I would happily owe it to.”

            “By the goddess,” Umi groaned, “if I tell you shit will you two please stop doing this?” Emun didn’t look back at her, but she could see Reyes’s smile widening. “She was with a Salarian the last time she was here. Maybe he was the Charlatan,” she quipped.

            “Anything’s possible,” Reyes shrugged and turned his attention back towards her.

            “You didn’t hear it from me,” Umi added. “Now please, go away before I lose my lunch. You two are sickening.”

            “It’s not like that,” Emun shot back calmly.

            “Keep telling yourself that, lovebird.” She walked to the other side of the bar and Emun made her way back towards the table when she felt Reyes’s hand on her arm.

            “See, everyone thinks we make a cute couple.” He smirked, and she placed her hand on his chest, not exactly pushing him away just yet.

            “You’re impossible.”

            “Impossibly determined when it’s something I like.” He smirked her way. “I’ll look into the Salarian lead if you’ll head to the drop point location.”

            “Is there some reason I have to do all the manual labor?” She asked, noticing she still had her palm set to his chest and dropped it, running her hand through her hair and taking a step back. He laughed, placing his arm around her shoulder, dangerously close and filling her senses with his scent; a clean musk surprisingly, almost reminding her of a mixture akin to bergamot. She liked that smell.

            “Because you’re good at it, and you have SAM. I don’t have that luxury, so I have to rely on what I’m good at. Which is gathering information.”

            She finally slipped from his loose hold, aware that Drack had his eyes on them, and took a breath as she grabbed her drink and finished it off. Drack was looking at her and narrowing his eyes at Reyes. She couldn’t tell if he was simply sizing him up, or about ready to break an arm.

            “We’ve got a new mission.” She told him.

            “You better come through with that payoff.” He told him and Reyes placed his hands on his hips.

            “I’ve been good to you so far, yes?”

            Drack began to grumble. “Those shotgun mods were pretty handy… Didn’t have to do much to them.”

            “Not a problem. Let me know if you need something else. See you soon,” he said to her, giving her one last grin and a wink before he made his way up the stairs. Damn him.

            She glanced back at Drack who was watching her staring after the man. She frowned his way. “Don’t start with me, old man.”

            “I just hope you know what you’re getting yourself into, kid. Man’s probably got a long list of… what do you humans say? Skeletons in the closet.”

            “It’s not as if I haven’t done questionable things while in Andromeda. And I’m not getting into anything.”

            “I don’t know, you’ve got that dreamy look on your face you humans get. And Vetra was saying—”

            “Don’t. Please don’t say it.” She placed her hand to her forehead. “Are you coming along or not?”

            “Someone’s gotta look out for your ass, kid. In more ways than one it seems.”

            She felt her cheeks heat up, beginning to walk away amidst his laughter. She could hear the old man getting up, old Krogan bones creaking, and she bit her lower lip. She was inadvertently making this silly longing of hers terribly obvious to her crew. She didn’t even want to think about if Shannon was around to see this. He’d be ripping her so hard about the way she was acting. He would know immediately how she felt about this man. She was in trouble.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been doing a lot of flailing this week at everyone's sweet comments! You guys are awesome (x Enjoy :3

            _“Reyes, I don’t have a good feeling about this,”_ Emun said over the comm and admittedly he was beginning to feel the same.

            “It is rather strange. Let’s head to those coordinates and see if the cargo’s there.” He told her and grinned when she slipped and told him to be careful. “You might want to follow that advice, I might start to think you care about me.” He could only hope, and he knew Keema was right. He had it bad for her, and it was more than just a passing feeling like he assumed it would be in the beginning. He couldn’t get her out of his head, couldn’t stop talking about her when he spoke with Keema. He’d made it very clear to the Collective that she was not to be harmed and he’d already offered swift retribution to those that were defying that order.

            _“What do I need to know about Zia?”_ Emun asked, and he shifted uncomfortably in his seat aboard his shuttle.

            “She was a mistake.” A groan filled his ears.

_“Reyes, that’s not what I meant.”_

            He let out a sigh, he couldn’t help but think that her thoughts were possibly leading there. He couldn’t tell if she was actually jealous or not, and a slight hope that she was sent a little thrill throughout him. It was funny how he could read her yet he couldn’t get a read on how she truly felt. She was a damn mystery, yet peeling back her layers had been fun. As easy as he thought she was to read, maybe she really wasn’t.

            _“I meant,”_ she finally continued, _“what can I expect from her? Is she shady? Honorable? Former Alliance, or bloody awful Nexus personnel?”_

            He nodded to himself, head bobbing back and forth; it was more than likely that Zia would sweet talk you to your face and shoot you as soon as you let your guard down. “Not very honorable, she did ply my man with drinks and seduce him to get this information.”

            _“Well, if your man thought more with his head than his dick then you wouldn’t be in this ordeal right now.”_ He burst into a fit of laughter. She’d been completely professional so far; he wasn’t expecting a comment like that from her. Maybe she was feeling more comfortable around him?

            “Which is why I keep to a three drink maximum during missions.”

 _“I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long.”_ He listened to the quiet hum of his shuttle as he flew towards the nav point when she finally spoke again. _“Are we doing this just to get back at your ex?”_

            There it was, and he felt a small victory that she mentioned Zia as his ex. “Why, Emun, you almost sound a little jealous there.”

_“I was only wondering if this was some sort of vendetta, you bastard.”_

            “Admit it.”

_“I’m not. Jealous. I can’t be jealous over something I don’t have.”_

            “Does that mean you want me then?” He smirked, just imagining her face falling and the off put look she had right now.

            _“This is not a private channel, Reyes.”_ She nearly growled.

            _“Keep it in your pants, Emmy.”_ He heard her squad mate, Liam, say. _“You too, Vidal.”_

            Reyes touched down moments later in front of the building. No one was around, and it looked abandoned enough for him to enter on his own. He went inside, looking around… But it was empty. There wasn’t any of the cargo he expected to be here.

            He heard voices and looked over, seeing Emun, Drack and Liam heading his way.

            “I don’t understand,” He was confused, “There’s nothing here.”

            “How much do you trust her?” Emun asked.

            “Not at all.” He looked to her, seeing she was thinking what was finally dawning on him. “This was a set up.”

            “Bravo, Reyes. I was wondering when you’d finally figure it out.” He turned his head seeing Zia striding her way over, looking so smug. “I knew you couldn’t resist a big pay out. It was almost too easy to set this all up.”

            “I am a greedy man,” He emptily joked.

            “Greedy, selfish; you have no friends because you don’t think about anyone but yourself.”

            “He’s a better man than you give him credit for. I’ve seen it first-hand.” His attention shot to Emun, not expecting her to say something like that, though she tried to play it off with a nonchalant air. He could see the annoyed look on her face, the same look she got when Sloane was mentioned. Was she just saying that to piss Zia off? Or did she really mean it?

            Zia let out a huff, bitter laugh soaking her tone, “Oh, honey look how pathetic you are, falling for this deceptive joke. You’ll find out soon enough.”

            “Leave her out of this, Zia, your quarrel is with me.” He stepped forward.

            She let out an incredulous laugh, “You’ve got it bad for this one, Reyes. I’ve already had him sweetie, he isn’t that good.”

            “Cut your shit, what exactly are you planning?”

            “We’re not happy with you taking all the good jobs, and we’ve grown tired of it. So we’re doing something about it.” Zia took out her gun, and before he could react Emun had moved in front of him, so fast he could barely see what happened. She’d pushed him out the way, sent her sword down onto Zia’s gun and it went off, ripping through Emun’s shields and she went down.

            He took out his rifle, sending a flurry of bullets her way before she retreated behind some crates. Liam and Drack were already in pursuit amidst the ambush that was descending down upon them. He grabbed ahold of Emun, pulling her back behind a corner and more crates, and sitting down pulling her back to his chest so he could see if anyone was coming their way.

            “Are you hit? Emun.”

            She groaned. “Yes, but I’m fine. Fucking armor piercing rounds.” She grunted, and he could see her hand at her hip. “I’m fine,” she said again and made to get up, but he held her back.

            “You’ve just been shot, Emun, hold on a second, you’re bleeding everywhere.”

            She took in a shaky breath, “Yeah. But it’s alright.”

            “You’re one stubborn woman.” He said, hands shaking as he put pressure over her own hand. “Just be still. I’ve got you.” Gunfire was still erupting around them, and he was almost in a panic at someone finding them. He wanted to get up and join the fight, fend them off before they got close, but more than that he didn’t want to leave her side in case it was serious.

            “Aw, isn’t this just so sweet.” He turned to see Zia, bloody and battered herself, weapon trained upon them in her off hand. He could see her dominant hand was a bloodied mess. If he was seeing it correctly, half her fingers and part of her palm were missing. “You and your little bitch die here, right now!” She growled.

            “Fucking shut up already,” Emun grunted, holding her hand up, and everything happened too quickly for Zia to react. Emun had sent an electrical pulse her way, shocking her and tearing through her shields, which gave him the chance to raise his rifle and take her down before she could try anything else. She dropped, but he didn’t care to look her way any longer.

            “Baby, are you alright?” The look on her face at his slip was priceless.

            “I told you, I’m fine.” She groaned, stubbornness still becoming her, and he shifted, arms around her as he held her close to his chest. He placed pressure to her wound again, listening to the gunfire dying off.

            “SAM,” his breathing was uneven, shaky as he felt the fear grip him that she may be worse off than he thought. “Will she be alright?”

            _“Yes. A minor wound. No major, future, damage is expected, I’m attempting to limit the flow of blood to that area.”_

            “It can do that?”

            “SAM’s what’s keeping me alive,” She said, voice still unsteady, but her own breathing had calmed down. “Forget I said that.”

            “That’s not exactly something you forget.” He said, making a note to ask about that later.

            “Emmy?” He heard Liam calling. “Ey, Reyes! Where are you two? Is she alright?”

            “We’re over here,” he called, and saw Drack and Liam round the corner and make their way over.

            “Damn, that looks nasty. You alright, Em?”

            “Fiiiine,” She drawled out again.

            “She’s crankier than me when she’s shot. Kid’s gotta be part Krogan. What’s wrong with you, Kid, you saw the mod she had on her gun, why’d you put yourself right in the way?”

            Liam scoffed, “I might have an idea.”

            “Both of you can be quiet,” She closed her eyes, and he felt her relax back into his chest.

            “Do either of you have any medigel?” Reyes asked.

            “Yeah, here’s a pack.” Liam fished it out of his gear and was about to toss it Reyes’s way when Emun let out another grunt and began to move to get up. He tried to keep her still, but she pushed away from him, holding onto the crate to get up.

            “Don’t waste it on me. I’ll be fine. Just get me to Lexi so she can start yelling at me.” Emun told them, and he got up in time to make sure she didn’t fall back down. “I’ve got it,” She barked, but SAM came over their comms to tell her she needed to accept the help or she’d pass out from exertion and the loss of blood. She was grumbling, but she let Reyes sling her arm around his shoulder.

            “I’ll take her to your ship on my shuttle. It’ll be faster than your Nomad.”

            Liam and Drack glanced at each other, like they didn’t want to leave her, but Emun let out a soft chuckle. “Looks like one of you has to drive the Nomad now.”

            “She’ll be fine, I promise.” Reyes assured them, and began to leave. He only felt slightly bad at leaving Zia behind like this. At one point they had something that was sort of akin to being friends. He would come back later to clean things up, but for now his sole concern was getting Emun back to her doctor.

            Her breathing was only slightly labored, the only thing he could find that showed him she was in pain. She was stubborn, trying to sit down by herself in the co-pilot’s seat aboard his shuttle. She didn’t want to show that she was hurting, yet he could see the trickle of sweat down her brow as he took off her helmet.

            “Your girlfriend’s a real piece of work.” She spoke as he buckled her in then got in his seat to take off.

            “Girlfriend is far too strong a word for what Zia and I had. Casual drinks and quick hookups. It was nothing more. Does that concern you?”

            She took in a deep breath looking away from him. “Not in the slightest. Who you fuck is your business.”

            “Yet, you keep bringing it up.” He joked, “seems suspicious.”

            She let out a slight huff, but there was a little smile on her lips despite the pain she was in. “What are you doing to me,” he heard her say which was then promptly followed by a groan that it slipped her lips loud enough for him to hear. “Don’t read into that.”

            “Look, Emun, I’m just going to come out and say this. I like you… And if there’s a chance that you feel the same then… I don’t know.” He babbled, not able to get the right words to flow correctly, or as smoothly as he had wanted. “I mean it doesn’t have to be serious if you don’t want it to be…” Yet, he kind of wanted it to be serious despite knowing that he was no good for her.

            He could only bring her trouble, and he was already hiding that he was the Charlatan from her, but he couldn’t help wanting to take that leap even though he knew he shouldn’t. He was selfish, he was greedy, he wanted her to himself. He didn’t want to think about if she had a thing with a squad mate, or if there was some poor bastard on the Nexus that had caught her fancy. He wanted her, wanted her to like him for who he was rather than the front he tried to put up.

            She was unlike anyone he’d met so far, seemed so closed off, unemotional, but he caught himself thinking about what it’d be like when she was comfortable enough to offer him a smile, a laugh, a simple touch. The little smiles she’d already managed to give him… It made his pulse quicken, and he couldn’t figure out how she had this great a pull over him. Yet she did, and he craved her, but more than that he wanted her to want him too.

            “You can forget I said anything… If it makes you feel any better.” He finally muttered when she hadn’t offered up anything to his admission. He touched down the shuttle at the port, noticing two figures already running over to it.

            “No, I… I’m just not good at this…” She mumbled, but before he could say anything to that the shuttle doors opened and Vetra and her other squad mate Cora came rushing in.

            “What did you do to her, Vidal?” Vetra barked.

            “He didn’t do anything,” Emun told them as she let them help her up. “It was my fault.”

            “But it was because of his mission! Liam told us over the comms what happened.”

            “I didn’t know things were going to go down like that,” He told them, brows furrowed, but pissed at himself for not realizing that that was what Zia had planned all along. “I’m sorry…”

            “Save it,” Cora barked at him, and he felt it best if he let them take her despite wanting to be the one to help her onto her ship. He didn’t want to upset her crew more than he already had. He’d have to dig around for a lot more contraband to make this one up to them. For now, he watched desperately as she limped away with Vetra and Cora, but she looked back at him, giving him the look he craved to see from her. She didn’t look like she wanted to leave just yet.

 

\---

 

            “Do you enjoy making me worry?” Emun tried to ignore Lexi’s lecturing once she’d come out of the anesthesia while she cleaned and finished sealing up her wound. She had already worked for hours fishing out the fragmented pieces of the bullet that were in her hip area, and apparently salvaging what she could of the left side of her reproductive organs. “I hate to tell you this, Emun, but you may have trouble having children in the future. That bullet shredded through part of your ovaries. If we can get you to the Nexus they could probably put you down and repair all of this much quicker with their equipment than I can with mine.”

            Emun shrugged her shoulders, still a little loopy from the drugs. “Good.”

            “Good? You’re not upset?”

            “No? Should I be? I’ve never thought of having them. I wasn’t planning on having the Nexus lift the blockers anyway.” She glanced at Lexi who was working to disinfect her wound. “Do you really want little copies of me running around?”

            Lexi began to laugh, “I can’t even imagine. Especially if they’re clones of you and your boyfriend.”

            “Not. My boyfriend. Who have you been talking to?”

            “Drack said you two looked pretty close at the bar.”

            Emun raised a brow, raising her head to look at her. “When did you and Drack find the time to talk about something as frivolous as that?”

            Chuckling, she stood to discard the gloves she was wearing after she’d finished bandaging her up. “Before you left for your mission. He seems concerned about your infatuation. I believe the words he said were, ‘he’s not good enough for her.’” Lexi giggled.

            “Oh god, he’s worse than dad was…” She put a hand to her forehead.

            “The crew is quite concerned actually.”

            “Is everyone talking about this?” She groaned, relaxing back onto the bed. “Great.”

            “They’re more concerned about his pursuit of you. They can’t stop talking about how he’s trying to charm you but you continue to shut him down, with a lot of glaring and stuttering from you.”

            “This is so embarrassing. Doesn’t anyone have anything better to occupy their time with?”

            “Not really. But, Emun, I do have my concerns. You’ve already said you don’t know much about him, I’m beginning to worry about your feelings towards him.”

            “I thought you wanted to see me smile like an idiot over him?”

            Lexi frowned, “Yes, but still. As much as I want you to be happy I don’t want you getting hurt like this if he’s going to drag you along for these missions.”

            “That’s part of the fun isn’t it?”

            Lexi glared at her, “I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.”

            Silence enveloped them, and Emun placed her arm over her forehead, trying to shield the lights above her and her mind began to wander. She really did like that smug bastard, didn’t she? The concern on his face when he pulled her away from the firefight, the way his voice shook as he tried to make sure she was alright… He called her baby… She blanched at that thought, but when he said it, it made her pulse quicken, her heart beat wildly. It was so silly, so stupid, but she wanted more affection from him.

 _‘Ryder, Mr. Vidal showed true concern over your being injured. His heart rate increased, and I noticed his hands were shaking when he touched you. He’s already called the Tempest several times, but no one has answered him. There is also an unread email on your terminal.’_ SAM said and she pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes.

            “I know that look. What’s SAM telling you?” Lexi asked as she sat at the end of her bed.

            Emun let out a sigh, Lexi was the only person she felt she could confide in. “He’s saying that Reyes was really concerned about my well-being after I was shot. Apparently, he’s tried to call the Tempest, but no one’s answered. He’s also emailed me.”

            Another giggle from Lexi, “He sounds determined.”

            “Guilty is more like it.”

            “Well, when you’re feeling better, maybe you should give him a call back?”

            Emun gave her a questioning look. “Encouraging again?”

            She let out a sigh, “I’m not even sure myself anymore. I suppose I’m a sucker for romance. At any rate, before you call him, or get involved, you need to rest for a few days and let your wounds heal. The medigel should speed up the process, but take it easy. I don’t want you running off on any missions before you’ve healed up.”

            “Thank you, Lexi.”

            “Also… I really think we should head to the Nexus to get you properly checked out.”

_‘Any shortcomings Dr. T’Perro thinks she has I can slowly take care of. You need not worry, Ryder.’_

            She offered Lexi a drowsy thumbs up. “SAM says he’ll take care of it.”

            The Asari looked shocked for a moment, then after she thought about it she nodded. “I suppose SAM did bring you back to life. I should’ve thought he could also repair your damage.”

            _“I can at least repair what’s still there.”_ SAM said to the both of them.

            “That’s reassuring.” Emun smarted off, closing her eyes. “Am I going to look down and realize half my leg is gone?”

            “Your sense of humor is atrocious, Emun,” Lexi laughed.

            “I get it from my dad…” She trailed off, and felt Lexi pat her leg.

            “Get some rest.” She said once more, and she felt herself slipping off to sleep again.

 

\---

 

            Emun was pacing in her quarters, torn, scolding herself for being this skittish. It had been several days, and already she felt a lot better. The intense cramps had begun to subside, and she was already off the pain medication Lexi had put her on, despite the doctor scolding her to keep taking them for at least a few more days.

            However, she hadn’t contacted Reyes yet aside from a poorly written message. If it could even be called that. _‘I’m fine… Don’t worry.’_ That was it. That was all she’d managed to scribble out to tell him she was okay, clicking send, and fretting about the fact that he hadn’t even written back yet. How could she have expected him to anyway with a piece of shite message like that?

            “Fuck,” She breathed, putting her face in her palms and running a hand through her hair. “You’re ridiculous.” She berated herself.

            _“Ryder, Mr. Vidal has made himself available via vidcom. He wants to speak with you.”_

            “What? Up there? Where everyone can hear us?”

            _“Would you prefer I set up a private connection here in your quarters?”_

            “Can’t you just patch him in on my private comm channel?”

            _“Would you like me to allow him access then?”_

            “Um… Sure… Yes. He can have access to it.” She crossed her arms, waiting, and his voice slowly filled her ears.

            _“I’m fine. Don’t worry…? That’s all you could send me? The last time I saw you, five days ago I might add, you were bleeding out on my shuttle.”_

            “I’m… Sorry?” She grimaced. “But that’s… I didn’t know what else to say. I am fine. That’s all…”

_“Uh huh. Well, if you’re fine, how about you accompany me to a little party tonight?”_

            “A party?” Her face scrunched up in disgust at the idea. “I hate parties.”

            _“Really?”_ He said sarcastically. _“I had absolutely no idea.”_

            “Just stop talking.” She narrowed her eyes, glaring at nothing in particular as she continued to move restlessly around the room.

            He was chuckling, and she had to admit she’d been missing his haughty laugh. _“Come out with me. Have a few drinks. I want to make up for that disastrous mission.”_

            “Have you been watching your back?”

            _“Is that concern I’m hearing? Yes, I have. I knew the other smugglers disliked me, but I didn’t realize just how much. Less competition now, I suppose. Perhaps that in itself will discourage others from messing with me. Fret not, my dear.”_

            “I wasn’t fretting.”

            _“But you_ were _distracting me. Are you coming or not? My friend Keema will be very disappointed if you don’t. She’s been wanting to meet the Pathfinder for quite some time now.”_

            “You have friends?” She tried to distract him once more.

            _“Aren’t we friends?”_

            “I don’t know what we are,” She slipped. “Uh…”

            His laugh rumbled low through the comms and she stopped to place her hand to her forehead. _“I’ll take that as a yes that you’re coming out. Meet me outside of Sloane’s headquarters around seven.”_

            “Wait, Sloane’s place?”

            _“Oh, did I not mention it’s Sloane’s party?”_

            “Reyes—”

            _“It’s a date. I’ll see you there.”_ He shut off the comm link and she frowned. Bastard.

            However, a few hours later she found herself outside of Sloane’s base of operations, hearing music floating from within. She wasn’t about to go inside yet, and she was annoyed with herself that she’d come to begin with. Yet she couldn’t deny that she wanted to be here; she wanted to see him and that thought alone made her nervously tap her boot against the ground. Where the hell was he? She was beginning to grow impatient which was another feeling that was foreign to her.

            She finally had enough of waiting outside, deciding to slip inside and was accosted by the guard.

            “You can’t get in if your names not on the list.”

            “I’m here with someone.” She said, and then felt a hand at the small of her back, turning her head to see him slinking up beside her. He looked good. Too good, shedding his normal attire for a grey Henley with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and tucked into black pants with a pair of boots that looked well taken care of. He was a man that cared about his appearance, which still made her think he was former Alliance. Damn it, he just looked _really_ good.

            “She is my guest. Reyes Vidal.” He said smoothly and the guard took a moment to check his list and nodded them forward. “I’m a little surprised to see you here. Though I’m glad.”

            “Uh huh… I’m here to piss off Sloane.” She lied, with any luck she’d be able to avoid that woman. She’d probably be sitting at her throne the entire time anyway, letting people hand her drinks and glowering at those who so much as looked at her. Although she knew she couldn’t say anything; she’d probably be doing a lot of glaring herself.

            He stopped them once they entered into Sloane’s main room, and he placed his hands on her arms and looked her over. “You look like you’re fine. No limp. You’re walking okay.”

            She rolled her eyes, but enjoyed the hint of concern touching his voice. “It’s nothing that Lexi couldn’t take care of.”

            “I’m surprised you didn’t head to the Nexus, though I’m happy you’ve stuck around.”

            “It was a minor flesh wound.”

            He scoffed, “It was an armor piercing round that tore through your shields.”

            She shrugged, “It wasn’t as bad as you thought.”

            Before he could say anything else their attention turned towards an Angaran who was making her way towards them.

            “Reyes Vidal. You’re awfully late.”

            “Always fashionably late at least. This is Keema Dohrgun. Keema this is Emun Ryder, the Pathfinder.”

            “Nice to meet you.” Emun told her.

            “You as well, Pathfinder, I’ve already heard so much about you. You’re all he’s talked about lately.”

            She glanced at Reyes who coughed, placing his hands on his hips. “I mean, it’s all good things,” He tried to play it off, and she watched him glance around the room. “I’ll be back.”

            “Wait, what?” She asked, almost near a panic. She didn’t want to be left on her own at a party, especially one she hadn’t wanted to be at in the first place.

            “I have to take care of a few things. I’ll be back soon, I promise.” And he took off.

            “There he goes again.”

            “What’s he up to?”

            “There’s no telling with Reyes, but he always has a good reason.” Keema told her. They chatted for a good while, and Emun really liked the Angaran. She was intelligent, and very street savvy as well, but she was biding her time under Sloane’s rule apparently. It was a shame the way Sloane was treating the Angara, especially when it was their port to begin with.

            “You know, he really likes you.” Emun felt her cheeks heat up when Keema said that.

            “Sure…” She already knew that, he did tell her in the shuttle how he felt about her.

            “Trust me, I haven’t seen Reyes this worked up over a person since I’ve met him. It’s rather adorable the way he keeps talking about you. ‘Do you think she likes me?’ It’s all so cute.” Keema said, and Emun swallowed hard. Did he really like her that much? “I think he’s finally met someone who’s challenged him. You don’t take his bullshit from what it sounds like.”

            “Then why’d he ditch me?” She blurted, looking around to see if he’d come back.

            “Again, I’m sure he has a good reason.” They continued to chat for a little while longer until Keema excused herself to go speak with another Angaran. She was left to herself now, looking around to see if Reyes had come back.

            Finally, she’d had enough of this party. It’s not as if she’d wanted to be here to begin with, but since Reyes had insisted she decided to take a chance since she wanted to see him. She didn’t know why she was drawn to the man, he was far too smooth for her liking, but she couldn’t help the thrill she felt when she was around him. Keema wasn’t exactly helping either since the Angaran had made it a point to insist on telling her how much he liked her, about how much he’d talked about her lately, and much to her chagrin had felt her cheeks heating up at her comments once more.

            She took another look around the party; people were drunk, Sloane had been watching her moves, and Reyes still wasn’t around which led her to assume he was up to no good. She was done. “Reyes, where are you?” There wasn’t any answer over her comm and she let out a sigh. She was going to tell him she was going, but if he didn’t even have the decency to respond— _‘I believe Mr. Vidal has slipped into a side room.’_ SAM chimed privately and she groaned about SAM’s meddling.

            She wondered what SAM’s end game was, as he continued to push for interaction between them. _‘I believe your attachment to Mr. Vidal is worth further exploring, Pathfinder.’_

            Her face fell and she narrowed her eyes and wished SAM could see how put off she was. “SAM…” She let out a disgruntled sigh. “Just… Don’t.” She made her way out the door and SAM let her know the room she was about to pass was the one he was in. She silently swore and opened the door against her better judgment, easily hacking the extra lock that had been put on it. When it opened she found him crouched down and looking at boxes, swearing about serial numbers.

            “I knew it.” She said dryly and he looked up. She was about to turn and leave when he shushed her and pulled her deeper into the room.

            “It’s not what you think.” He implored and she narrowed her eyes at him.

            “You invited me here to use me. As a distraction.”

            “No! Well, maybe, yes. But it’s for both our benefit. I promi—”

            “All I hear from you are empty promises,” she interrupted, promptly rolling her eyes and shaking her head, wondering why this man was continuously causing her heart to flutter and make bad decisions. “Never mind.” She was about to head back out the room when she heard footsteps.

            “Shit! Someone is coming! We need a distraction!”

            She wasn’t sure what to do, but as quickly as she froze it didn’t matter when he pressed his lips to hers. She pulled away suddenly, staring at him for a moment in shock that he’d actually taken that plunge, but then she swept back in and kissed him back. His hand slid along her cheek, fingers warm then threading into her hair as he backed her up against the crate. She felt her back arch against the pressure of his kiss and she wrapped her arms around his neck feeling him slip his tongue inside her mouth. She was breathless as he nearly took her over, invading her senses and her boundaries, but she was enjoying every second of it, every tingle throughout her veins.

            She’d forgotten that there might be a guard standing there, watching them, though she couldn’t hear anything but the steady beat in her ears and quiet hum of the lights above. He parted from her, trying to catch his own breath and she looked into his hazel hues, winded as he stared back at her.

            “I uh, think we’re in the clear.” He slowly backed away from her and she quickly came to her senses, nervous energy returning to her as she slipped away from him to catch her breath. She was out of her element, usually so calm and professional but he made her so flustered. She could see him smirking out the corner of her eyes; he knew exactly what he was doing. “If I’m not mistaken, you pulled me back in for that one.”

            “No! I did not!” She stuttered, pursing her lips and still feeling like she could feel his lips seared against hers.

            “Admit it,” he grinned, hopping up onto the crate to look in another one hidden above. “You like me too.”

            “It was a distraction.” She tried to put up her professional front, arms straightened at her sides as she tried not to fiddle with her fingers.

            “There was a lot of enthusiasm behind that distraction.”

            She groaned, “Please be quiet.”

            “Ah! There it is!” He said pulling out a bottle and hopping down in front of her. He was quite pleased with his find.

            “The only bottle of Mount Milgrom in Andromeda—”

            “That’s a bottle of Mount Milgrom?” She asked suddenly, interest piqued as she moved closer to get her eyes on the bottle.

            “You… know what this is?” He raised a brow.

            “Yes? Why is that strange?”

            “I did not think someone like you enjoyed drinking at all, let alone know of whiskey’s finest treasures.” His lips quirked into a smile. “You did refuse my drink the first time we met. And you didn’t want to drink at Tartarus until Vetra convinced you.”

            “I don’t accept drinks from people I don’t know,” she said plainly.

            “I’m losing my touch then,” he winked at her and she narrowed her eyes.

            “You stuck me with the tab. For _your_ drinks.” She continued to glower at him for a moment. “We’re sharing that.”

            He chuckled, “then maybe we should get out of here,” he grabbed her hand and she felt a rush fill her as they began to run away.

            They ended up finding themselves high up, sitting and looking out over the city as the sun began to set. She was sitting close to the corner while he was behind her to the left, both of their legs dangling off the edge. They’d already polished off half the bottle and she was definitely feeling quite warm and loose.

            “I never expected this,” she stated quietly as he handed the bottle back to her from his perch behind her.

            “It is rather gorgeous though, wouldn’t you agree? I sometimes forget.”

            She took a swig letting the liquid slide smoothly and easily down her throat. It was definitely a good bottle. “It is; in its own way…” She was quiet for a moment, the haze of the liquor clouding her thoughts. “Mum was so optimistic for us.” She muttered, mentally chastising herself for revealing personal information especially when he’d revealed next to nothing about himself.

            “You’re just not used to the rough and tumble Wild West.” He chuckled and she shook her head.

            “I didn’t expect people to be so… lost.”

            “Oh. Well, when you put it like that… Why did you decide to come out here?”

            She took a deep breath and took another drink, handing the bottle back to him. “Same as everyone else.”

            He scoffed, “I hardly believe a woman like you doesn’t have a better reason than that.” She swallowed fumbling with her fingers. “You can tell me, Emun, it’s not as if I’m going to parade around revealing to everyone the Pathfinder’s secrets.”

            “I just… Wanted to start over. Somewhere my name wasn’t a stigma. Explore new tech and opportunities. To forget who everyone thought I was. Forget… a lot of things. Forget new things.”

            “What happened to your father, Emun? We were all expecting him on our Ark. Not that I’m upset that we’ve got you.”

            “He sacrificed himself for me…” She found herself telling him, not having been able to talk about it with anyone yet. She was still numb about it, trying to put on a brave face, but it was bubbling under the surface, eating away at her. Reyes set her at ease despite the flash of nerves he gave her, yet she figured revealing her thoughts was mostly due to the whiskey at the moment. “My helmet broke on Habitat 7… He took his off… I see his face, see him trying to tell me something, but I can’t hear him… because I was dying too…”

            She felt his hand on her arm, softly tugging. “Come here,” he coaxed her to sit beside him and she did, feeling his arm around her. It was so foreign to her, this feeling, the fluttering and the longing. She was so detached from most things; it was hard to admit when she was finally attached to something; _someone_. “I’m sorry.” He whispered.

            “Why did you come here?” She asked, trying to get her mind off of what was constantly swimming in her head.

            He was quiet for a little bit and she looked to him to see he was staring out across the city. “To be someone.”

            “You’re someone to me,” she said hazily, then realized just what it was she had said. “I mean, you _are_ someone.”

            He cracked a smile, eyes equally dazed. “I still think that kiss was more than just a distraction,” he placed his hand to her cheek, letting her feel the warm touch of his fingers and palm. He moved in, she closed her eyes, but he didn’t kiss her. She opened her honey grey hues to see him smirking. “I told you so.”

            “Bastard,” She breathed, about to pull back when he moved in and finally kissed her. It was slower this time, and she practically melted into him, letting him work her lips, work her. She felt the tingling in her bones, a shudder running down her spine as he slid his fingers into her curls to cradle her head and pull her closer. She wasn’t one for affection, but Reyes had blown into her world like a hurricane uttering a simple phrase and piquing her curiosity. She refused to admit it, dared SAM to say something more about attachments, and pressed her lips against his a little harder, enjoying the pressure, the unique way he fit against her mouth.

            She let out a sigh when he finally eased back, kissing her firmly on the cheek and her forehead before he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to his side. She felt content in their silence as they looked out upon Kadara. Maybe this place wasn’t so bad, she thought. It was the first sunset she’d really sat down to watch. It really was quite sensational.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize now for this chapter. So sorry, guys. ^^;;

            Emun woke up feeling an ache in her side, but a warm body next to her, one that she was curled against. Her head was resting on his chest, arm draped across it, and she could feel the light touch of his hand in her hair, twirling a curl around his finger. She didn’t move, continued to relax, content to feel his light touches and relished in how good it felt.

            They’d fallen asleep together up in their spot overlooking the port, and she was a little surprised that’s all it amounted to. She wouldn’t have been opposed to sleeping with him. On one hand, she’d already gone off the deep end now that he knew she liked him back, but on the other, it was interesting to see him not try anything, even though she wanted him to. She wouldn’t admit that to him though, she still wasn’t one for making the first move, or admitting defeat.

            “Thank you for saying I’m a good man… Even though I’m not…” She heard him whisper quietly, so soft she wasn’t sure she’d heard it, and she wondered if he thought she was still asleep. He let out a long, soft sigh. “Shit… What am I going to do…?” His voice was a soft murmur, raspy from waking and she felt a pit in her stomach. He was hiding something big, and it was something he felt guilty over. What if… No, that was stupid. He would’ve told her if that was the case…

            “Say something?” She finally muttered, stretching her legs a little as she ran her hand up his chest.

            “Hm? Ah, no… I was just talking to myself.” She felt his fingers drift to her collar bone, sliding along it, pushing her shirt just a little further down her shoulder so he could slide his fingers against her skin. “You have freckles on your back.” He said, and she could see the smile on his face. “How far do they go, I wonder?” He smirked, and she let out a huff, placing her hand on the ground beside his chest so she could prop herself up.

            She was leaning over, looking down at him, “Maybe you’ll find out.” She couldn’t believe she was actually playing this game, but it felt freeing. It felt good.

            “Keep talking like that and I may not be able to behave myself.” He leaned up a little, threading his fingers into her hair to bring her closer so he could press his lips against hers. “You don’t know what you do to me,” he said breathily, and she let out a sigh.

            “I have an idea of it.” She said, and he groaned as he laid back against the ground.

            “Not here.”

            She chuckled, “I didn’t think you were the type to wait.”

            “Do you really want to scream my name for all of Kadara Port to hear?” Her mouth parted at that comment, shock becoming her until her brow slowly furrowed. He started to laugh and she shook her head.

            “There won’t be any screaming.”

            “Just lots of loud moans of my name then? I’ll take it.”

            “Oh, god,” She put her hand over her face to hide her embarrassment. “No. None of that either.”

            “Well, it won’t be quiet, I can assure you of that.”

            “It’s getting to the point where it’ll only be a fantasy.”

            “Aw, you’re no fun. But I can work with fantasies too,” he smirked up at her and she slapped his chest, while he began to laugh at her.

            “Just stop talking,” She grumbled.

            “That’s not going to happen,” he said, moving and she let out a yelp when he flipped her to her back. He was chuckling as his lips found hers, slowly trailing down to her neck where he nipped lightly, sucking at her racing pulse. “It’s fun to talk during it.”

            “God damn it, Reyes,” She breathed, then a thought hit her. “Wait, stop doing that.” She let out a groan, not really wanting him to stop, but knowing what it’d bring.

            “Why?”

            “You’re going to leave a mark.” He started laughing again and she frowned. “I’m serious.”

            “Baby, I hate to break it to you, but you were out all night with me. They’re going to think things no matter if I leave a mark or not.”

            “They don’t know I was out with _you_.” She let out a sigh when he didn’t stop what he was doing, and then found her lips again, lazily kissing her, slow, almost putting her back into a dream like state.

            “Bastard,” She breathed against his lips, but ran her hands down his shoulder blades into the arch of his back until she slipped one hand below his belt, fingers lightly sliding over the curve of his ass. He let out a groan, breaking from their kiss and chuckling into her neck.

            “I know what you’re doing,” He smirked, giving her one last kiss to her lips. “Stop tempting me. And distracting me.” He gave her another nip at her neck, leaving a kiss behind before he rolled over onto his back beside her. She felt the absence of his body, wanting to feel the weight of him back on top of her and she blew out a sigh.

            “You’re dangerous.” He said, and she sat up, looking out across the city and the bustle of the morning activity. She felt his hand slide up her back and she drew in a breath before he lightly tugged at her shirt. “Lay back down with me. There’s nothing important that we need to do right now.”

            “Except work.” But she laid down beside him anyway, feeling his arm wrap around her waist.

            “You work entirely too much for someone your age.”

            “I’m twenty-two, I should be working.”

            “Twenty-two? I thought you were fifty.” He quipped.

            “Hah. Cute.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ve never heard that joke before. So hilarious.” She deadpanned, and he kissed the top of her head.

            “I know. I’m full of original material.”

            They laid together a little while longer, until a series of heated kisses made them both finally get up lest they stay here and continue. She wouldn’t have minded, but Reyes seemed serious about wanting to play the gentleman part and thus kept stopping anything that wasn’t just a simple kiss.

            They were almost to the market, just about to part ways when he pulled her back into the shadows, pressing his lips back to hers in another hungry kiss. His tongue slid across her lower lip and she parted them so he could touch it against her own. She gripped his shirt as he backed her up against the wall, pressing his body against hers and she sighed when his mouth found her neck once again, a light suck and a cool sweep of his breath. She ran her fingers up into his hair, her breathing increasing, heart racing as she resisted the urge to writhe her hips against his.

            “I like your neck. Long like your body… gives me more to kiss.” He ran his hands up her arms, fingers threading with hers as he pinned them against the wall. “You’re beautiful.” He breathed, and she felt the compliment deep under her skin. She didn’t know what to say. His reverence was not something she heard meant so deeply, usually just passing vapid compliments till they realized how she was; realized she wasn’t worth the effort. He looked like he was waiting for her to respond, but she didn’t know how, so she slowly inched her lips towards his, kissing him again.

            He let his hands slip from hers, fingers gliding across her jaw until he finally broke their kiss, setting his forehead lightly to hers.

            “You’re something else, Emun.”

            “Oh, stop it.”

            “I mean it. I have… There’s something I need—”

            Her comm went off, interrupting what he was going to say. She was surprised someone hadn’t contacted her sooner. She took in a breath letting out a sigh, and he took his own deep breath as he backed away from her.

            “Yeah?” She answered into her comm, leaning  her side against the wall. She glanced over her shoulder, his back was turned to her, hands on his hips as he looked down at the ground.

            _“Ryder, where have you been?”_ Cora’s concerned voice entered her ears.

            “Out for a jog…” She lied, knowing it wouldn’t take.

            _“Since seven last night?”_

            “I like to run…” She offered, and heard Reyes’s soft chortle behind her. There was a pause on the other end.

            _“Alright, well… We just wanted to make sure you were alright. Lexi is worried about your injuries too. You should probably head back.”_

            She sighed, “I’m fine, mum, I’m on my way.”

            _“Cute, Ryder.”_ She heard Cora’s voice, dull edge, and not amused, and the comm cut off.

            “I’ve got to go. Pathfinder’s well-being is at stake,” She droned, feeling as if all they cared about sometimes was the Pathfinder and not really for her. She shook those thoughts, ignoring them, and he was smiling at her, though rather sadly. “What’s wrong?”

            “Nothing…” He strolled up to her and captured her lips in a sweet, soft kiss that it nearly made her melt. There was something different about this kiss, bittersweet and aching. He parted from her quietly, pulling the zipper to her jacket higher and popping her collar. “I’ll see you…” But he didn’t finish, left the thought hanging on the air as he offered a little wave, heading out the alley and out into the city.

            She felt it deep, was in for trouble. Nothing good lasted—it hadn’t _been_ lasting, especially lately. Her family had seemingly crumbled in one fell swoop since coming to Andromeda. Hell, before they came here she couldn’t even contribute to trying to keep them strong like Shannon had tried for so many years. She just ignored the problems they all had, didn’t want to listen about how their dad wasn’t much of a dad, because she knew deep down she was a lot like him. Detached, stubborn, too consumed with work to realize what was going on around her. It was bittersweet that mum’s disease brought them all closer, even if it hadn’t lasted that long.

            She made her way back to the Tempest, and once on board she was met with most of her squad in the cargo bay. Shit, she thought, how fast could she run to her quarters and avoid this awkward conversation? They were all worse than her dad was when she was a teenager.

            “Is everything alright, Ryder?” Cora asked her as she looked up from the work she was doing.

            Emun shrugged, “Yes. Why?”

            “We’re just worried about you. You’ve been spending a lot of time with—”

            “That’s not who I was with last night. I went to Sloane’s idiotic party to establish other viable connections within this forsaken port so we can establish an outpost for settlers so they won’t get killed.” She was almost surprised at how easily she came up with that lie. She didn’t do it very often, but she didn’t need them to know her business. Vetra and Liam were watching their exchange. “And if you must know, I took a moment to find a high spot and I watched the sunset.” That wasn’t a lie, just one little omission of the reality of what actually happened. “I fell asleep. I just wanted to be by myself.”

            It sounded convincing enough, because they seemed to let it go and she was on her way to her quarters when she heard Lexi call out to her from the med bay. She muttered to herself, not knowing if she should head in for another lecture by the Asari, or ignore her friend for now.

            She knew better, Lexi would seek her out anyway, so she might as well go in now and get it over with. She walked in, and there was a frown on her face.

            “I sincerely hope you weren’t on another mission.” She said, setting down her data pad.

            “I wasn’t, I swear.”

            “Theeeen,” She swiveled in her chair. “What _were_ you up to?” She inquired. “Wait a minute,” Lexi moved towards her. “What’s that on your neck?”

            “Nice chatting with you, Lexi,” She turned for the door amidst Lexi’s laughter.

            “We’ll talk about this later.” She heard her say and she went back to her cabin. Once inside she made her way towards the mirror, pulling her jacket off and pushing her hair over her shoulder.

            “Shit,” She breathed, but couldn’t help the smile that creeped to her lips at seeing the reddening marks dotting her neck. She leaned against the desk for a moment, shaking her head. Despite her better judgment, and knowing something was wrong, she was in deep already. She had been for a while she just hadn’t wanted to admit it.

            _‘Your relationship with Reyes has become interesting, Ryder.’_ SAM piped up for the first time since last night at the party. _‘I’ve only been able to witness a love already established between your parents.’_

            “Wait, no, SAM. You can stop right there, I don’t _love_ him.” She felt her cheeks heating up, absolutely flustered at the thought.

_‘My mistake, Ryder. The signs seem to indicate that you were heading in that direction.’_

            “Don’t be ridiculous.” She scoffed, but she lost her breath for a moment there. It was infatuation, a silly tryst that had barely gotten off the ground. She couldn’t fathom him feeling that strongly about her either.

_‘Apologies if you wish not to speak of this, Ryder. However, there is another matter at hand. An email from Sloane Kelly. She wishes to meet with you in person.’_

            Immediately she felt her nostrils flare, all of those light, airy thoughts faded at the mention of that woman. She wasn’t interested in what she had to say, but she knew she had to go. She had no leads on the Charlatan, and whomever they were seemed to have no interest in contacting her as well. She didn’t know what their end game was aside from taking Sloane down. But she’d found out even more undesirable things about Sloane. She had let Liam, Jaal, and Peebee head out and get back Dr. Nakamoto’s formula while she was injured. Finding out Sloane was letting her people create drugs and addict the populace was the last straw regarding that woman.

            But she figured she had to grit her teeth for now. She wanted to get this outpost up and running; she would begrudgingly listen to what she had to say if she could get that going soon. She gave it a few more hours to answer Sloane’s email, which ended up resulting in a vid com message that left Emun smirking at the woman’s reluctant groveling.

            Apparently after the party last night, Kaetus had been jumped and beaten by her own people leaving him barely alive, which was sending Sloane’s nerves spinning. The Charlatan wanted to settle things with her in Draullir, and Sloane wanted her to tag along to watch her back. In return she’d play nice with the Initiative and allow the Outpost to be created.

            Emun hadn’t decided if she was even going to go, but she knew she had to, especially if the Charlatan was going to make an appearance. She went down to the cargo bay to gather her squad.

            “Sloane Kelly wants me to head to these nav points down in Draullir. Apparently, the Charlatan wants to settle things between them and Sloane wants me there to watch her back.” She handed a data pad to Cora who looked at it, beginning to zoom in on the coordinates of the area.

            “There’s a cave there. Doesn’t seem too suspicious. Also, doesn’t mean this Charlatan hasn’t rigged anything up yet.” Cora said.

            “If Sloane was smarter she would send someone inside in her place to change the location. She’s just going to go in there and expect me to save her ass. Don’t know why she thinks I will.”

            “What are you planning to do, Emmy?” Liam asked. “This doesn’t seem safe for us.”

            “No, it’s not. But Reyes did say something a while back about the Charlatan spreading word that the Pathfinder and their team weren’t to be harmed.”

            “You want to see if the Charlatan will actually make an appearance, don’t you?” Jaal said and Vetra crossed her arms.

            “I’ll have to admit, I’m a little curious myself.” She told them and Emun nodded with her.

            “Kid, what’s your plan?” Drack stepped forward. “I’m with you whatever you choose.”

            “Let’s go. We don’t know what to expect, but if we don’t go we may lose a chance to get the outpost here.” Emun told them. “That’s more important than this quarrel. With any luck we can reign in one side or the other. Or we take out both of them.”

            “I don’t like this,” Cora said. “It’s risky. Are you sure it’s a good idea?”

            “This may be our only chance. Let’s take the risk.”

 

\---

 

            Reyes was standing back in the shadows, nerves wracked, and he couldn’t help the soft shaking his hands were caught up in thinking about what Emun would think of this. Kian had sent him a message; Emun had stopped by Tartarus looking for him. He knew she’d be here, somehow he thought it inevitable that she’d be present at this confrontation. And he was scared, not for his own safety; he was scared that everything he’d worked to build over this short time with her would come crumbling down in a terrible fashion. He wasn’t worried about this showdown. Yet he was so consumed with what Emun thought of him, he almost lost sight of how important this was for Kadara’s sake as well.

            It should’ve been obvious that it would end up like this. Hell, with his flair for theatrics, it was bound to be this way. He didn’t want it to be like this, he was scared things would change too much for them, and admittedly terrified of getting his heart broken. He didn’t know why he fell so hard for her, it happened almost without him realizing it. Somewhere around the first time they met and the cute way she was flustered around him he realized how much he liked having her in his presence. And when she got injured during his confrontation with Zia he found how much he needed her around. She also didn’t take his bullshit, and then the way she looked at him; all the looks. From the annoyed frowns to the longing looks she thought she wasn’t sending his way. All he knew was he was absolutely crazy about her, hooked, and he didn’t want to lose her.

            He heard voices, Sloane’s carried in front of the group, but he got a ping on his omni tool and glanced down to see her name on it. She was trying to contact him, and the sickening feeling in his gut reappeared. He should’ve told her a long time ago. Keema was right, and he should’ve listened to her.

            They stepped closer and he finally saw her, light bathing Emun in a warm glow as she stepped forward behind Sloane and two of her squad mates. She looked more off put than normal, and he had a sinking feeling she knew. He took a deep breath, figuring that he was already in trouble he might as well make a big entrance as planned.

            “You look like you’re waiting for someone,” he said, stepping forth from the shadows and his eyes locked with hers. Bad idea. She was angry, he could see the simmering hurt behind her eyes. He betrayed her, and now he was making light of it, trying to cover up the turmoil brewing within him. He mentally kicked himself, but there was an important task still at hand.

            “I came to see the Charlatan, not you, Vidal.” Sloane sneered, and he was about to say something when Emun spoke up.

            “You’re looking at him.” She muttered and he could see the way she tightened her fists and clenched her jaw.

            “What are you proposing then, you thieving bastard?” Sloane asked, and he had to tear his attention away from Emun in order to look at his rival.

            “A duel. Winner takes Kadara Port.” He told her, and she thought on it for a moment.

            “I accept those terms.” She agreed. They began to circle each other, and he had to make sure he was paying attention despite having a sniper posted and ready to strike. He hoped he was right that Emun wouldn’t interfere, that her dislike for the woman would let it be. It was dishonorable to let Sloane die this way, but he didn’t have time for honor in this world and it hadn’t gotten him anything yet. Besides, Sloane deserved much worse.

            He got to his mark and he saw that Emun noticed something. She was too sharp, too hawk eyed to miss the sniper posted behind him. He watched her now more than he watched Sloane, but the bullet rang, singing through the air to hit its mark, and all at once the cave grew dead silent.

            “Bang.” He pointed, making a shooting motion with his fingers before he told his men to clean things up. They had a lot of work to do, and he had a lot of explaining. “Emun—” but she already turned to run up the slope of the cave. He turned to Drack and Jaal. “Just let me explain things to her.”

            “You’ve got five minutes with her, Vidal, before I come and rip your head off, Charlatan shit be damned.” Drack warned and he hurriedly made his way up the stairs, more afraid of Emun than her adopted Krogan father at the moment.

            He ran up the slope after her. “Wait, Emun! Let me explain!” He caught up to her and grabbed her wrist then felt the great force of her smash into his chest when her palms forcibly shoved him back.

            “You lied to me!” She growled low and his heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. The hurt in her eyes, it was too much.

            “Yes, I did… but you know what kind of man I am, Emun,” He desperately hoped she did and he watched her swallow and take a moment to breathe and even out her words.

            “I thought I did.” She said and her words were like daggers and he deserved no better.

            “Please….” He pleaded desperately. “Please, just let me explain.”

            He watched her shake her head backing up when he tried to inch his way closer to her. She placed her hand to his chest and he wanted so badly to wrap his fingers around hers.

            “Why didn’t you trust me?” Her voice was laced with hurt, and the breath he let loose was shaky. “For all your talk of trust, you should’ve had the decency to tell me. Especially after last night. I deserved that for thinking I could trust you!” She stopped herself, gaining her composure and control. The walls were building back up faster than he could imagine.

            “I like the way you looked at me… I was afraid it would change,” he said helplessly, weakly, the best reason he could come up with other than he was absolutely terrified she would’ve cast him aside as soon as she knew what he was hiding.  Or thought of him as some worthless criminal; worst yet, viewed him the way she viewed Sloane.

            “And this way was better?” She shot back.

            He was desperate, grabbing at anything he could to fix this. “Emun, I’m sorry… You’re right, you deserved better, you _deserve_ better. I didn’t want it to be like this. I didn’t want you to see me as a liar like this. I promise—”

            “Stop. Just stop with the promises,” she let out a sigh and she wiped her hand over her forehead.

            He swallowed hard, not knowing what he could do, searching for an answer anywhere that could help him. “Emun, I mean it,” he grabbed her arm again, trying to reach out, and he expected her to push him away, but was surprised when her lips crushed against his in a heated kiss. He kissed her hard, desperate to show her how he felt, pressing her back to the wall so hard it caused her gun to unhook and clatter to the ground. Her hands were at his shoulders pulling at him, and he needed to show her, needed to make her understand that he hadn’t meant for it all to happen like this. He grabbed her waist, wishing she wasn’t clad in her armor, but he applied pressure, wanting her to feel his touch despite the obstacle. He placed his hand against her cheek, wanting to run his hands through her hair, but couldn’t. He worked her lips as desperately as she seemed to be seeking his, but all at once it abruptly ended and she pushed back on his chest.

            “I can’t do this,” she breathed and he was devastated at her words, heart cracking, and he deserved it. He braced his hands on the rocky wall on either side of her, slowly losing the will to breathe. It was shaky at best, and his heart ached, body shaking. She seared her lips against his; it felt like goodbye and she broke away from him with a sudden force, pushing his arm aside and picking up her gun.

            “Emun, wait,” he panted. “Don’t leave like this.”

            He watched her stop; she didn’t turn back to look at him. “I suppose you got everything you wanted, Reyes…” And she slipped away as he tried not to slam his fist against the wall of the cave. He didn’t want it like this.

            He made his way towards the opening in the side of the cave, looking down and watching for when she left. Drack and Jaal were in front of her, piling into the Nomad first, but Emun stayed outside the vehicle, pacing for a moment. He ached watching her, had to swallow down the lump in his throat when she placed her hands against the Nomad and looked down at the ground. She glanced up his way, then when she noticed him standing there she straightened up.

            Shaking her head she finally hopped into her vehicle and sped away. He was angry at himself. He knew that Kadara was important, that he was here first without a care aside from ousting Sloane before she blew in like a whirlwind. It changed, changed so fast without him realizing. He couldn’t remember the last time he cared so deeply about a person.

            He took a deep breath, trembling, trying to calm his racing heart. He couldn’t shake the ache he felt, the regret was seeded deep. But he had to let it go right now. He had a task at hand, and it was more important than wallowing in the regret and self-pity he created for himself. It would do no good to head back to Tartarus drowning himself in a cheap bottle of whiskey. He could do that later. He had to take Kadara while he could and begin the change it needed.

            If he didn’t, then all of this really would be for nothing. He couldn’t lose this place or the chance to do something good for the people here and lose her too at the same time. It would eat him up if he failed Kadara like he failed her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also wrote the cave reveal from Emun's perspective. If there's interest in that, I could post it as a oneshot somewhere? I was torn between both versions, but ultimately I wanted to do it from his perspective!


	7. Chapter 7

            Emun had left Kadara behind over a month ago, hoping she could avoid it until she could plop the outpost there and leave it for good. She felt so stupid. She knew better than to fall for that damn man, and yet she did, so hard she was still reeling from the encounter. After a week there had been a few messages she couldn’t bear to look at, and a missed vid comm message. After a few days of not responding he seemed to take the hint, and she was ignoring anything personal for the sake of their mission. They had to find the Archon and take him down, but Gil was still fixing the transponder and decoding it.

            Shannon still wasn’t awake, and she’d regressed back to how she’d been before she came here. Unfeeling, robotic almost, SAM kept trying to pull her from herself, reminding her of her friends on board the Tempest, but it just wasn’t working. She needed Shannon, she needed him so badly as she couldn’t shake her father’s death and feeling so alone anymore. The crew was trying to help, most of them noting that she had gone back to the way she was when they’d started this journey. She was bad before, but it was far worse now.

            Lexi was in her room, sitting at the end of her bed while Emun was at her pillows, knees curled up and immersing herself in work to keep the bad thoughts away. More and more she found people saying how they’d rather be dealing with Alec despite her air of being similar. It was a blow, one she tried not to let affect her. Of course they all wanted Alec, she’d had no experience in this kind of work, no training, but it cut deep not being wanted. Especially when she was doing the best she could.

            “How are you, Emun?” Lexi finally asked. “It’s been a rough couple of months, and we haven’t really had a chance to talk.”

            “I’m fine,” she lied, and Lexi gave her a knowing look.

            “It’s not fine. Do you want to talk about him? I know you really liked—”

            “No. It was nothing. It meant… nothing.” But she was so wrong. It had meant everything in such a short amount of time.

            “You don’t have to lie… We’re friends aren’t we?”

            “Yes.” She told her sincerely, “but I don’t want to talk about him…” It hurt too much and she didn’t want to admit it aloud.

            Lexi let out a sigh. “It’s time for some hard truths. I’m your friend, I care about you. You’ve helped me, and I hope I’ve helped you, but Emun as much as I’m also upset that he lied to you, don’t you think you ought to hear him out? I’ve heard from the others about how much better Kadara is doing. Vetra said the people there are hopeful for once.”

            Emun didn’t say anything, just continued to stare at the data pad in her lap. She had heard the reports about Kadara. She’d checked the status of it every time she got the chance. She never once saw his name come up though.

            “Have you read his messages yet?” She looked up at Lexi and shook her head.

            “No…”

            “Maybe you should. Maybe it’ll give you a little more insight to why he handled things the way he did.” But she knew why already, she understood it. She was angry that he lied, more hurt that he didn’t decide to trust her, but the real reason was that it scared her when she realized just how much she cared about him.

            “I know already…” She mumbled and Lexi leaned forward.

            “What do you mean?”

            “It’s nothing,” Emun tried to cover up that she’d dared to utter anything.

            “You’re not even mad at him anymore are you?”

            Emun let out a sigh, shrugging her shoulders and tossing aside the data pad. “No… I’m not.”

            “You still care about him don’t you?” When she didn’t respond, Lexi smiled softly. “I think you’ve already made your decision then.”

            She shook her head. “I can’t, Lexi… It hurt too much.”

            “But you felt something. And from what I’ve gathered, you don’t feel that way too often.”

            “I’ve never felt like that before…” She uttered simply, finding the truth was pouring from her regardless of her trying to hide it.

            “Then I think you owe it to yourself as well to at least speak with him.”

            They chatted a little longer, Lexi offering some more insight that she was grateful for. They were a lot alike, but Lexi offered a great shoulder to lean on when she didn’t have her brother. Not that she would ever talk to Shannon about something like this, and she cringed at the thought of him meeting Reyes if that ever did happen, but the Asari was integral to helping her slowly let people in.

            Obviously, the rest of the crew helped as well, and she owed it to them to stop being so cold and distant when she really did enjoy their company. But it was hard, and she didn’t know how to fall back in line with that part of herself again.

            _“Ryder, perhaps you should check your messages.”_ SAM pinged her, and she rolled her eyes.

            “SAM, I don’t want to read his messages…” She said softly.

            _“There’s a message from Keema Dohrgun.”_

            “Really?”

            _“Yes. From what I’ve gathered from the reports on Kadara, Keema is acting as… Mr. Vidal’s front, or shall I say, the Charlatan’s front. She’s been the new face of Kadara since Sloane’s death. Now might be the time to speak about getting an outpost settled in on Kadara now that the infighting has calmed down.”_

            She narrowed her eyes. “You’ve been awfully quiet about Kadara, SAM, why the sudden interest now?”

            _“I deemed it was painful for you to think of him. I felt your heartache, and it was something I had not yet experienced alongside you. The only thing slightly similar, though on a larger scale, would be to compare it to the way your father felt when your mother was dying.”_ There was a pause, and Emun let out a sigh, shaking her head. _“Also, you had not yet openly admitted the true reasons for your fleeing Kadara.”_

            “I didn’t… _flee_ Kadara, SAM. I just left it…” She grumbled.

            _“Apologies, Ryder. Now that you have admitted your true feelings, perhaps it’s time to speak with him?”_

            “I’m beginning to think you’re more infatuated with him than I am.” She said, and got no more response from SAM. She chuckled to herself, but read Keema’s message anyway. It was vague, but she wanted to see her in person. She figured they might as well head there, Vetra had been wanting to go back for quite some time in order to gather more supplies and establish new connections now that the Charlatan was in control.

            A couple days later, and she’d set the course for Kadara, wondering how much had changed now that time had stretched further since she’d activated the vault. But heading back into the port she felt nervous, not knowing if she was ready to run into Reyes in case he happened to be wandering the streets. She was conflicted, she wanted to see him, wanted to talk to him, but she was nervous, too worried to dredge up memories that seemed to be from ages ago.

            She made her way to the old headquarters that had belonged to Sloane, finding Keema sitting at the throne and going over reports.

            “You look good up there, Keema,” She told her and the Angaran smiled when she walked up.

            “It’s good to see you, Pathfinder! I’m glad you could make it.” She nodded to the few Angara who’d been sticking around and they quickly shuffled off leaving them alone. “I think you know why I’ve asked you here.”

            “The outpost, correct?”

            “Not exactly. You’ll need to speak to the Charlatan regarding that. And _he_ is why I called you here.”

            “Keema—”

            “Hear me out, Ryder. He’s been a mess since you left. I told him he should’ve told you from the beginning but he was terrified you’d think he was no better than Sloane. He handled it poorly, but it was rather adorable the way he fretted about it. Now, he’s thrown himself into work and not much else. Kian tells me he’s been mostly holed up in his room by himself when he’s there. His moping has become insufferable. Could you at least go talk to him?”

            Emun didn’t say anything, just shifted from one foot to the other. She didn’t know if she could handle seeing him yet, didn’t want to fall back into his arms so easily.

            “At the very least you can get the outpost started. He’s been obsessing about it since you left.”

            She blew out a sigh, hands on her hips. “Alright.”

            “You can probably catch him in his room at Tartarus.” She couldn’t help but notice the change in Keema’s tone, excitement had become her and she briefly wondered what it would be like if Keema and SAM had the chance to chat with each other, but then she immediately regretted that thought. It would be a nightmare.

            “Thank you, Keema.”

            She left, wandering around the market and trying to stall the inevitable. She didn’t want to keep drawing this out, but she felt so much turmoil about seeing him. On one hand, she wanted to see him smile at her, feel his gaze upon her, his touch his lips, everything, but on the other it terrified her that she could feel this way. She felt so silly, this was absolute rubbish. She could barely keep her thoughts straight.

            “Hey, Ryder,” She heard Vetra call to her and she made her way to her. “What’re you doing? You look lost.”

            “No, I’m just…”

            “Thinking about him?” Vetra asked.

            “It’s complicated.”

            They were quiet a beat until Vetra placed a hand on her hip. “Look, Ryder, go talk to him. Your moping has been insufferable.” She heard Vetra echo Keema unaware.

            “I’m not moping.”

            “Yes, you are. Ever since the whole reveal situation, you’ve cut yourself off from us. You’re worse than when I first met you. When we had to pry you out of your quarters just to socialize with us during down time. I miss you being around us when we’re all relaxing.”

            “You guys… Miss me?” She asked, shocked.

            “Yeah, Ryder. We’re friends. We like your company. You’re not as off-putting as you think. Well, you weren’t, now you’re just acting like an old grouch like Drack, except you prefer drinking and groaning in the privacy of your quarters.”

            She let out a huff of a laugh. “I’m just…” She shrugged, “I really miss my brother and…”

            “Reyes? You can say it, Ryder. It’s okay to miss the guy. Hell, it was pretty obvious you had a thing for him the first time you met him. When I first saw you two together in Tartarus, though it was pretty funny to watch you fumble so much, it was clear as a night’s sky. You had it bad, and if you weren’t obvious he was more than obvious. Despite the big lie of you know what, you still want to see him don’t you?” Emun made no motion to agree, but she swallowed hard. “From what I’ve heard, Kadara is doing way better than it was before. You’ve got him to thank for that, and yourself.”

            She shrugged, “I didn’t do much.”

            “You may not think that, but you helmed a lot of missions that helped to undermine Sloane’s rule. Plus, you two started the vault together. Anyway, all of that is beside the point. Keema contacted me and was wondering how you were doing. I told her not well, and she responded the same for him.”

            “I know… I was just talking with her.”

            “So what’re you waiting for? Go talk to him. Do you need another reason than he misses you? How about deep-seeded regret? Guilt? I read his emails—”

            “You didn’t,” Emun’s eyes widened.

            Vetra let out a chuckle. “I did. It was all quite revealing. Kisses during sunset, you believing in him, it was really cute actually.”

            She put her face in her hands, groaning. “Oh god, how could you read them?”

            “Well, someone had to if you weren’t. We thought about emailing him for you but—”

            “We?” Emun interrupted her again.

            “Yeah, Peebee and I.”

            She groaned, hand to her forehead, “this is a nightmare. Do all of you know then?”

            “Well…”

            “Vetra, really?”

            “I’m sorry, Ryder, but all of that is not even relevant. Just go talk to him, get your outpost started, and I don’t know get yourself out of this funk. We’ve got an Archon to find. Gil sent me a message, he was finally able to fix and decode that transponder.”

            She narrowed her eyes at Vetra, “I’m not in a funk.”

            “You keep telling yourself that all the way down to Tartarus and see how you feel after you see him. I’ll catch you later, Ry.” She said with a wave and wandered off.

            It took a while, but Emun finally found herself heading into Tartarus after stalling for an hour. She just really needed to get this over with, despite her heart pounding as she stepped inside, mirroring the beat of the music. Kian saw her, waving her over and she made her way to the snarky barman.

            “Well, well, if it isn’t the Pathfinder. Haven’t seen you in a while.” He raised a brow. “Someone’s been drowning his sorrows in whiskey most nights when he’s not pouring himself into his work.”

            “That’s not my fault.” But admittedly she actually felt a little guilty. She wanted to hear Reyes out, but she was stubborn, and she could tell herself she didn’t want to fall for him all over again, but she’d be lying to herself. He made her heart race without him being around, she could still imagine the spark of his touch on her skin. She had no idea she could feel this way, and it scared her more than anything. She wasn’t good with emotions, was terrible really, and when she was finally honest with herself about why she fled Kadara it sent her feelings on a turbulent ride that she was desperate to hide from the others. She felt stupid that she was more upset with herself for realizing how much she cared for him than his lying to her.

            “Well, he’s still hung up on you, love. You drinkin’ this morning?”

            “Yes,” she said, “whiskey, straight.”

            Kian began to chuckle. “Not gonna savor this one are you?” He poured her drink and handed it to her.

            “No.” She said plainly, downing the rich amber liquid, and blanching only slightly. It wasn’t as smooth as the Milgrom, nor as good as the bottle of scotch Gil “found” on the Nexus, but it was fine for the moment. She stared at the empty glass taking a breath and she glanced Kian’s way to see him smiling.

            “If you need any assurance, he’s still crazy about you.”

            She shook her head, she didn’t really need reassuring, not when everyone else was already doing it for her. “Mmhm,” she hummed softly, blowing out a sigh. Now or never, she told herself, and made her way up the stairs. She was at the door for probably five minutes before she unsteadily knocked on it.

            “I told you, I don’t want anything.” She heard his muffled voice, and she tried to open it, but found it was locked. Rolling her eyes she started to hack the door and it opened. “I said—” he started again, but when he looked up at her the frown turned to the same breathless expression she must’ve had. She leaned against the door, and his hazel hues bore that same saddened look the day she left him. “Emun,” he breathed, almost as if he didn’t believe she was really standing in front of him. He stood, then didn’t know what he should do, so she stepped a little closer inside.

            “I’m here to talk about the outpost. Keema said you were the one to talk to about that.”

            He looked disappointed, and she was hoping he’d offer up a sarcastic quip like he used to, but he straightened. She was professional, and he was going to mirror that. “Yes…” He finally spoke. “I want the outpost here, Emun. We’ve managed to crack down on the rest of Sloane’s people trying to cause trouble. Now’s the time to bring the outpost here.”

            “Good. Good. I’ll get right on it then.” She shifted to her other foot, trying to think of what else she should say. “So what do you get out of it? Do I need to be worried about unforeseen fees the Charlatan wants to enact?”

            He shook his head. “The trade the outpost brings will be more than enough. They’ll have my full protection… Promise.”

            She nodded, could barely find her breath as she continued to lose herself in his hazel gaze. He didn’t look like how she knew him to look. Before he was light, playful; now it was a little broken, so sad, and Vetra had basically told her the same thing about herself. She finally took the breath she’d been holding and pursed her lips.

            “Ah, well… I suppose I should go now.” She turned to leave before she could be swept up in his pull again.

            “Wait,” He moved towards her, fingertips managing to ghost lightly against her forearm before he pulled back. “I want… Can I show you something? It’s important. I promise.”

            She nodded slowly, and she felt the soft slip of his hand across her lower back as he lead her towards the door. They found their way to his shuttle, the ride was quiet, and she watched him out the corner of her eye, not paying attention to where he was flying to.

            He cleared his throat finally, shifting in his seat. The silence was killing him, she could tell. “How’s your brother?” He asked and she looked over at him.

            “I don’t recall telling you about my brother.”

            “You didn’t… But you know I have my contacts.”

            “That’s right…”

            “Emun, I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t want to fight.” He suddenly said.

            “Neither do I,” she snapped back, nerves worked up at just being in his presence. Silence enveloped them once more and she ran her hand through her hair and let out a sigh. “Things are still the same. He hasn’t woken up yet.”

            “I’m sorry to hear that.” He told her sincerely. “I was hoping he’d have woken up by now… You deserve something going right for a change.”

            “Thank you…” She softly uttered, and he began to descend the shuttle into the area by the Sulphur Springs. She leaned forward, there were buildings in this area which were nonexistent before, but for the most part they looked empty save for a few people guarding them.

            He unhooked his seat belt and stood next to her seat, holding his hand out to her. “I want to show you something.” She let her hand slide into his after she unbelted herself and he pulled her along with him. They stepped out and she really got to see what was spread before her. It was the start to an outpost. “This is where I thought your outpost could be. It’s the perfect spot.” He glanced back at her a moment, still holding onto her hand, then stared back out across the scene in front of him. “We’ve been working on getting it started.” His thumb swept across the back of her hand; he was trying to ease his way back to her good graces and with each new touch that she didn’t push away he was getting bolder.

            She couldn’t breathe, was so in awe of the thought he put into this. He hadn’t given up on trying to impress her, wanting her to see him in a better light. He hadn’t given up on _her._ “Reyes—”

            “Emun,” he turned to face her, “there’s a lot of things I did wrong. Almost everything. But the one thing I did right was walking into that bar and meeting you. I know I should’ve told you, I regret keeping it from you, but I need you to understand that I didn’t do it to deceive you. I’ve been working for so long trying to take Kadara back and make something good out of it. It’s been hard not knowing who to trust. However, it’s not an excuse, I know… I let the mission cloud my judgment… And I didn’t trust the one person I should’ve known I could. I need to know if you can forgive me for it…”

            She stared down at their boots, dust and dirt sweeping across them. “I know you regret it…” She mumbled.

            “You know?” He raised a brow. “Were you going to tell me that before I started groveling at your feet?”

            “Maybe.” She glanced back up to meet his eyes and a slow smile curled to his lips.

            “Well, I wouldn’t mind being on my knees for you.” He said suggestively, and she tried to hide the smile forming on her lips.

            “I see that,” he placed his hand on her cheek and she tried to look away until he coaxed her back to face him. “Don’t hide it.”

            “Reyes,” she breathed, “I’m not good at this.”

            “I know, and it’s alright. That’s what practice is for.”

            She scoffed, feeling her cheeks heat up, but she felt that pull that she’d been missing, and she wasn’t about to admit she was afraid so she did the next best thing and slowly fit her lips to his. He moved in, chest lightly pressed against hers, hand sliding into her hair to hold her head. She felt the slide of his tongue against hers, her hands splayed against his chest as they slid over his shoulders, and the press of his other hand against her lower back. Soft sighs escaped her, a low hum rumbled in his throat. She missed this. As soon as she’d acquired this feeling it was gone by that night, and she didn’t realize just how much she needed this, needed _him_ until this moment. She’d been aching without him around, aching without being able to think of that silly smile and chuckle.

            When they finally broke apart he was grinning. “You taste like whiskey and sunsets,” he kissed her cheek and she let out a huff.

            “That was so cheesy,” she said and he laughed.

            “This is what you to do me.” He hugged her close and she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Can we start over?” He asked.

            “How about we pick up where we left off that morning?”

            “Much better,” he agreed, but his smile turned back to a frown. “But, Emun, can you fo—”

            “Yes,” She placed her hand to his cheek this time, “I forgive you.”

 

\---

 

            Reyes felt nervous for a change, making sure his little VIP room in Tartarus was clean, despite it always being well taken care of. They’d parted for the rest of the day, but he’d invited her back here so they could talk some more later. Admittedly, he had a plan, sweep her off her feet, and then who knows what else they’d get into. He’d let her decide, but he just wanted to be with her, feel her close to him.

            When she’d finally made her way here she stole his breath again as she walked through the door. “You look like you’re waiting for someone,” She said, and he slowly smiled, setting down the glass of wine he just poured.

            “That’s my line.” He smirked and he could see that she was still nervous despite her confident air. She was fiddling with her fingers, a soft smile set on her lips, and he resisted the urge to sweep right in and capture her lips with his. He wanted to take things slow with her, wanted her to be comfortable like the night of the party. He hadn’t expected her to be that relaxed with him, and he was definitely not expecting her to grab his ass the way she did the next morning. She was certainly full of surprises, and she set his mind racing.

            She made her way towards the couch, and he handed her a glass before he sat down somewhat close to her.

            “I hate to ask, but when are you leaving again?” He wanted to know, wanted to be able to savor all the time he could with her.

            She shrugged, “Tomorrow? The day after next? I’m not sure. I’m not looking forward to going back to the Nexus to tell them what I’ve decided.”

            “You’re the Pathfinder,” He said, “They have to live with that. However, boring stuff aside, there’s something I’d like to do,” he stood up and began to fiddle with his omni tool. He’d been thinking of the perfect song for this moment.

            “What exactly are you up to?” She asked and the music started to play.

            “Our first date didn’t get off to a great start; I neglected you. Let me make it up to you.” He held his hand out to her as the soft sounds of one of his favorite tunes filled the air. It was a simple, soft jazz melody, a delicate piano and smooth violin sound that surrounded them. She looked absolutely floored, and he began to smirk when she could barely speak.

            “No, Reyes, I don’t… I don’t dance!” She was flustered, and lying. She was definitely a dancer, he could see it in the way she walked, the way she would glide across the floor in such a graceful manner. He grabbed her hand, pulling her up amidst a groan. “Reyes, I really don’t—”

            “Relax, Emun, it’s not the waltz,” he chuckled, placing one hand in hers and the other at her lower back, sliding across the soft fabric of her shirt. He looked at her, and she began to get just as lost in his eyes as he was in hers as he lead her around the room, slowly dancing to the tune.

            “When I left the Nexus my survival depended on secrets.” He told her, wanting to be fully honest with her. “I don’t want there to be secrets between us.”

            He watched her shake her head, and he worried about whether or not she thought he was lying again. “There will always be secrets. It’s who you are, what you do. But when it’s something big… Just don’t lie to me about that. Don’t keep it from me.” She told him, looking away as they swayed to the music.

            She was too good to him, too good to be true. She deserved so much better than what he could give her, yet he wanted to be good for her in every way he could. “Thank you…”

            “What for?” She caught his eyes again and he resisted the urge to kiss her before he was able to get his thoughts out.

            “For liking me despite what I am.”

            She pursed her lips, swallowing, and he watched her intently as she fumbled. “I… I like you for who you are…” She finally admitted, and it was the sweetest thing she could say. He couldn’t help the smile on his face, which was causing her to crack her veneer and smile with him. He closed the gap between them, letting his lips fall gently onto hers and he swallowed the sigh that escaped her lips.

            They’d stopped dancing, the music still wafting around them from his omni tool, as they became lost within the other. He slid his hand into her hair, lightly gripping, and he felt her fingers curling around his shirt at his lower back. A slight tug and she’d pulled his shirt from beneath his belt, and he chuckled into her lips.

            “Someone’s hands are wandering,” He grinned against her lips, wanting to slow this down and stop her, but finding he could only let her hands slide up the curve of his back. Her fingers were pressing into his muscles, and he groaned when her hands moved around his waist. “You’re full of surprises, but this wasn’t my intention tonight.”

            She kissed him, effectively shutting him up, and he wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her flush against him, kissing her harder, faster, wanting to taster her fully. He wanted to behave, but it was far too difficult when her hands were roaming and she kept giving him that look. Two could play that game, and he let his hands wander down to her ass, giving her a good squeeze and relished in the tiny gasp that escaped her lips.

            He felt her hands grip his shoulders, and he could faintly hear a pinging going off. They effectively ignored it, until it wouldn’t stop. “I think that’s you,” he said, listening to her nearly growl and he started to laugh.

            “I’m going to shoot them.” She settled her head onto his shoulder, defeated, until she answered her comm. “What?”

            _“I’m really, really sorry to bother you, Emun, but it’s urgent.”_ He could hear her conversation.

            “Lexi, what’s going on?” She sounded a little more alarmed.

            _“It’s Shannon! Harry called, he’s awake, Emun!”_

            She was still, and he watched her carefully. “Go,” he told her. “You need to go.”

            “I’m on my way,” She told Lexi and she cut off her comm. “I’m sorry.”

            He chuckled, “You were the one getting greedy,” He gave her a wink and kissed her one more time.

            “Thank you, Reyes,” She said, but he wasn’t sure what she was thanking him for.

            “You’re welcome?” He shook his head with a smile. “Come back soon.”

            She quickly kissed him once again. “I will.” She said, and she reluctantly slipped from his arms, and hurriedly made her way out the door.

            He blew out a sigh watching her go, and tried to ease his racing thoughts. He couldn’t believe how badly he had it for her, but could feel the slight ache at seeing her leave again. This time though, she’d come back, and with any luck she’d actually respond to his messages this time while she was gone. He was crazy about her, but he knew, he just knew she had to feel the same, and that thought made him grin broader.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got out of hand, it's really long, yet I'm making no apologies lol This contains NSFW content. ;D I did say later chapters ;D Should probably change the rating now *cough* Hope you guys enjoy! *Runs away now*

            Emun never felt her feet fly so fast across the floor when they’d touched down at the Nexus. It was a complete blur till she’d gotten to the Hyperion deck, racing like she was racing against time itself. It was as if he was in some sort of trouble, but that wasn’t the case. She just wanted to see him so badly, to talk to him like she used to. People were trying to stop her, ask her questions, but it was all a haze as she finally stepped into the med bay, out of breath, and heart racing.

            She saw Harry, but she didn’t see Shannon yet. “Where is he? Is he okay?” She panted, out of breath.

            Harry grimaced, she didn’t know what for, but he pointed at her brother’s form which was leaning against a shelf close to the vid wall. She tried to calm herself, but she was walking as fast as she could towards him. He glanced her way, he looked angry, and before she could give him the hug she had so desperately wanted to give him he backed away from her holding his hand out.

            “You lied to me, Emun!” He shouted, and her lips parted as she stood frozen in her tracks. “How could you not tell me da’s dead?! We tell each other everything!”

            “I…” She stuttered, heart pounding, and immediately she shut down. She’d been wanting to see him so badly, she hadn’t stopped to think of how he’d feel finding out about dad. Her fists tightened and her jaw clenched, she wasn’t angry, but being refused by the one person she felt closest to was hurting more than she liked to admit.

            He saw the look on her face and immediately regretted it, when Emun shut down she became cold and distant. “Wait, Emun, I’m sorry… I’m just…”

            “I know. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Shan… It’s just… I didn’t know how it was for you being in the coma. I didn’t want to add to the stress… and I didn’t know how to tell you.” She said, not looking at him, but then she saw his feet come into view as he pulled her into a hug. She didn’t know how to tell him that their father was dead because of her unless Harry told him.

            “What happened, Emun?” Shannon asked, finally parting from their hug to look at her. “What’s wrong? I’ve never seen you look guilty before.”

            She wasn’t calm, breath barely finding its way into her lungs. She tried to steady herself, but she swallowed hard and shook her head. “He’s dead because of me, Shan…”

            The look on his face mirrored her own, sadness, pain, heartache, it was all there, and as much as she tried to hide it on her face, it was a reflection of his. “Calm down, just take a breath. You’re supposed to be the calm one, and you’re scaring me.”

            “Habitat 7 was a disaster. My helmet broke and dad… He gave me his helmet. There was no hesitation, Shan, he just… He took mine off and set up the transfer and he put his helmet on me.”

            “What?” Shannon was shocked. “He… Da sacrificed himself?” He’d misjudged him. He thought their father barely cared about them; that he only cared about their mum. He couldn’t begin to imagine what she was feeling. She saw him do it too… He knew Emun didn’t feel guilty about a lot of things, but this… He knew this would eat at her on the inside, and he’d been asleep for so long not able to help her through this. He was her only friend, and coming to Andromeda she was his only friend now too. He pulled her back into another hug. “I’m so sorry, Emun.”

            She felt immensely better at having her brother with her again. It was like a sinking weight was finally off her shoulders, however she felt the weight of his 6’3” form nearly collapse her, and she quickly held him up.

            “Sorry… Sorry.” He muttered as she kept him braced until he was able to stand again. “I’m still…” He grumbled, “Harry says I’ll still be weak for a while… He won’t clear me to board your ship yet.”

            “It’s probably for the best, Shan. I don’t need you hurting yourself.”

            “I don’t hurt my…” She watched the silent beat on his face and he nodded his head side to side. “Alright, so maybe I do get myself hurt more than I should…”

            “Maybe?” She helped him back over to a bed and Harry began to check on him.

            “Everything looks fine. It was just a minor dizzy spell. He’s probably going to have those for a while.”

            “Thanks, Harry.” Emun told him, and then she sent a narrowed glare his way and he held his hand up.

            “I didn’t tell him, Emun. I swear.” Harry defended and she saw Shannon nodding.

            “No, he didn’t tell me. I overheard someone else talking about it.”

            She nodded at Harry who nodded back, patting her on the shoulder before he left the two of them. She sat down at the end of Shannon’s bed and watched him for a moment, till her eyes wandered to her fidgeting fingers. “What was it like?”

            “Strange… Trapped in a little world I couldn’t escape from. SAM opened it up for just a little bit so we could talk, but after that it was a lot of nothing and then dreams… So SAM’s apart of you now, yeah? Harry told me that much.”

            “SAM’s the only thing keeping me alive I believe…” She said, and Shannon placed a hand to her shoulder, giving her a good squeeze before he laid down.

            He stared up at the ceiling, hands clasped together over his stomach. “I can’t believe… I just… He’s gone,” he shakily breathed, not knowing how to handle it. “Da was an ass, but I didn’t think he’d do something like that. I mean… I know he would, but…” He let out a sigh, “I don’t even know what I’m trying to say.”

            “I don’t know either.” She quipped and saw him smile.

            “Funny, sis.” He smiled at her then frowned again. “I wish…” He shook his head, turning it to the side. “I just don’t know how to handle da being dead.”

            “I know… Neither can I. Especially when you’re constantly hearing about how much better he would’ve been at being a Pathfinder… It’s almost like they’re saying… He should’ve let me die; should’ve let his child suffocate right in front of him.”

            “People are cruel, Emun,” his voice was shaking. “Don’t let them make you think that. I know you won’t, but I know it cuts deep too. He did the right thing. You’re supposed to be here in his spot. It’s how it was meant to be.”

            She let out a sigh, leaning on her arm. “I don’t even know what I’m doing half the time.”

            He snorted, beginning to chuckle. “That’s a first. You always have a plan.”

            “Not anymore it seems.”

            “Well,” he nudged her with his knee, “from the sounds of it, you’ve been doing pretty good. Probably better when I’m along.”

            “That’s not going to happen for a while, Shan. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

            He shrugged, “I’ll be fine. I just need to sleep.”

            “Six hundred years and then some wasn’t enough for you?”

            “Oh, shut it, Em, I can’t help it.” He let out a yawn and she smiled.

            “It’s… So good to hear your voice.”

            He smiled back at her, reaching out his hand and she clutched it in hers. “Yeah, you too.”

            She left him to get some more sleep, anxious for him to wake up again as she wandered around aimlessly, finally making her way to Tann’s office to announce, and she really did announce, that she was placing an outpost on Kadara. She’d made the decision and said she had been working with the Charlatan whose group was already making strides to insure the outpost got off on the right foot. She’d told him, and then later on Addison, about the buildings that were already in place and that there wasn’t as much danger as before. They weren’t happy, but she didn’t care. She got them an outpost, and it would flourish. She trusted Reyes on this one; he’d already taken so much care to get it there. He wouldn’t mess it up.

            She was about to head back to the Tempest when her comm began to ping and she let out a groan when she realized, or rather remembered… She’d left Vetra, Peebee, and Drack on Kadara. She grimaced as the thought occurred to her, and she answered Cora’s call.

            _“Hey, Ryder, so uh…”_

            “Yes, I know… I just remembered. Again.” She sighed. She went back to the Hyperion first and told Harry that she had to head out; she had to go back to Kadara so she needed him to let Shannon know it’d be a few days till she travelled back here. Admittedly she was a little excited to go back, and it gave her the perfect excuse for her running off without a care. She didn’t want to think about how the crew knew about Reyes and her being together. It wasn’t like they were an official thing anyway. She didn’t even know how to explain what they even were.

            It was just… Something. Something good, something that made her feel things she’d never felt before, and apparently it was somewhat the same for him. She didn’t want to listen to their teasing though. It wasn’t any of their business who she did things with, but being on a ship with nothing else to do… She understood it, she just didn’t care for her love life being the subject of nonsensical gossip.

            Once back on board the Tempest and standard procedure had been met, they were off once again. She shook her head at how much hopping around they had been doing, mostly to Kadara, and she made her way to see Gil. He’d fixed the transponder and she hadn’t gone to see him yet about it. Between… other things occupying her mind, and with rushing to see Shan, she hadn’t paid him a visit.

            “Ah, Ryder, didn’t think you knew who I was anymore.” Gil teased, “I’m hurt. Spending all your time with that shady bastard on Kadara, yeah?”

            She frowned at him, “It’s not like that, Gil,” She tried to deny it.

            “You can tell yourself that all you want, love, but we know better. Aaanyway,” he handed her the transponder. “The damn thing was pretty busted up, it’s why it took me a bit longer to get it up and running between other things, but I think she’s ready to go if you want to give it a try.”

            “Is turning it on a good idea?” She flipped the switch anyway and Kett voices sounded, so she quickly turned it off.

            “Be careful! That’s a direct line to a ship full of murderous shites!”

            She raised a brow, “You told me to turn it on, you bloody asshole.” She bit back and he began to laugh and she shook her head in good humor.

            “Testy, Brit,” he teased her. “It’s good to have you back you know.”

            “I hadn’t gone anywhere.” She told him, setting the machine down.

            “Uh, yeah, you did. After all your dramatic fucking around on Kadara, you came back all moody. It was worse than when I met you.”

            She let out a sigh, “I’m sorry that me wanting to be alone was such a problem for everyone.”

            He pushed her shoulder lightly, “Ry, we like having you around. You may think you aren’t fun, or that we don’t think you’re fun, or some other load of rubbish, but you have friends. _We’re_ your friends.”

            She shrugged, “I know… I just needed to be by myself.”

            “What, to punish yourself?”

            “I wasn’t punishing myself,” She lied; she kind of was. “Besides, I wasn’t fucking around on Kadara.”

            “You haven’t even shagged the guy yet?” He was flabbergasted and she let out an annoyed sigh. “Man, you’ve got it bad for this one, yeah?” He began to laugh and she punched him in the shoulder and he let out a loud groan.

            “Stay out of it.” She told him. “SAM, did you get anything off of the transmission?”

            _“Yes, Ryder. The coordinates are located in the Tafeno system.”_ SAM responded and she nodded.

            “Might want to see if your boyfriend’s worth all the fuss when we get back to Kadara.” Gil smirked. “You know, before we venture off on another dangerous mission. We’re supposed to be explorers, Ryder.”

            “It’s only dangerous if we die.” She said and enjoyed the way his face fell at her comment.

            “You know, I never should’ve played poker with you. You’re a terror under that innocent façade. Scratch that, you don’t look innocent. It’s deceptive. You’re a cheeky bastard underneath that grouchy exterior.” She started to laugh, and Gil smiled back at her. “It’s about time you laughed again.”

 

\----

 

            Emun sat in her quarters, not able to sleep as they made their way back to Kadara. There was a message at her terminal from Reyes, and when she’d read it she couldn’t help but chuckle.

_In your haste, I believe you left a few things behind on Kadara. Don’t worry, we are taking very good care of them. However, Drack may have drank most of Umi’s stock. She’s not happy, but when is Umi happy? Or is she just unhappy around me? All of that aside, I’m going to pretend you left them here on purpose, that way you had an excuse to come back to Kadara much faster._

_Anyway, Keema got word about the Nexus sending shuttles. I’m glad that we can finally get this outpost off the ground. I have squads already set up for protection details for your settlers upon their arrival. The trade this will bring us will be a fantastic boost to Kadara. You did this. You helped to make Kadara better._

_Thinking of you always—Reyes_

            She smiled, couldn’t help the goofy grin that was on her lips, but her eyes caught sight of the three unread messages she still hadn’t brought herself to open. Figuring it was time, she took a breath and opened the first one.

            _Please, Emun, I need to talk to you. I don’t know what else I can say to make things right. I didn’t do this on purpose. I would never intentionally deceive you I just… I know I fucked up, I know I should have told you, but it was for your safety and mine… I’m so sorry. Please, just talk to me. Let me see you, let me explain. I… I don’t want you to believe I’m like Sloane. I swear I’m not, I just didn’t want your opinion of me to change when you found out. I put off telling you… because I was scared. I’m scared of losing you, Emun._

_Please don’t run away from this—Reyes._

            She took in a breath, feeling bad about leaving him hanging when he was so desperate. He didn’t want her to think poorly of him. Her opinion mattered that much to him. She shook her head, opening up the next message.

            _I need to know that I can fix this. Please, let me fix this. Come back to me…_

_Tell me you’re okay at least—Reyes_

            She bit her lower lip and opened the last one. It was the shortest of them all, it came a few weeks after she’d ignored the other ones.

_I miss you._

_You’re always on my mind—Reyes_

            She felt her heart clench, especially remembering the look on his face when she finally walked through the door. She wondered if he thought, maybe she read my emails, maybe she didn’t just cut me off? But she had. She had cut him off, and it felt awful. She almost hated that she felt like this, but she was _feeling_ for the first time in a long time. It’s not that she’d changed, or that there was something wrong with her before, she still didn’t feel guilty about a lot of the decisions she’d made so far, but when it came to Reyes. He set something alight within her, something she could barely control. She was a mess around him, not calm and collected, and just seeing the way he looked at her almost always turned her into a pile of mush.

            It was nonsensical, she couldn’t explain it, and it aggravated her that she couldn’t find a reason other than the obvious she was trying to ignore. There was no way that she loved him, but she was falling down the most slippery of slopes. She couldn’t get out of it even if she tried, but she didn’t want to get out of it.

            _“Ryder, your heart is racing.”_ SAM spoke softly. _“I do not wish to offend you, but perhaps the reason you feel this way_ is _because of love.”_

            “Oh, SAM, stop it…” She groused, getting up and heading back over to her bed.

            _“I’ve been observing the two of you carefully since you met. You seem to care deeply for Reyes, and he seems to care deeply for you. Studying your culture, it seems grand gestures are used as a form of affection. Reyes has done so on more than one occasion, starting with the gifts he had delivered for you and your crew.”_

            She blew out a sigh as she crawled underneath her covers and situated herself on her side, hugging her pillow to her chest. “I know what he’s done, SAM… I don’t need you to remind me, I think of all of it often. I also think about his lies.”

_“Yet, you also think about how scared you were at the thought of caring about him so deeply. You’ve yet to experience love. Perhaps you don’t realize that this might be it. Your parents loved each other, quite deeply, and you’ve formed a very deep attachment to Mr. Vidal.”_

            “It’s not love, SAM. I don’t even know what we are to each other.”

_“I know what you are to each other.”_

            She opened her eyes. “And what exactly are we to each other, SAM?”

_“She is the light that saves me from the shadows. Oxygen when there is none to be found. She challenges me to make myself better, and I want to be a better man, a man she can be proud of. She takes my breath away, and gives it back to me when she kisses me. There’s no better rush than when she looks into my eyes and when I feel her touch against my skin.”_

            Her heart was racing, “SAM, what was that?”

_“These are Reyes’s words, sent to me in an encrypted message. I was not sure you were ready to hear it before, but in light of our conversation, I believe it was important you knew. He said to show you when I thought you could handle it.”_

            “When did he send it?”

_“He sent it after you parted ways the morning before you found out he was the Charlatan.”_

            The flutter in her stomach nearly sent her reeling. He felt all of that? _For her?_

_“I told you, Ryder. He cares very deeply for you, as much as you care for him. Perhaps what is unexplainable is ultimately what you are to each other.”_

 

\---

 

            She’d gotten an earful from her crew when she’d gotten there midday the next day, so much so they were holding her up, eating away time that she could have spent with Reyes. She had to see him, was anxious about seeing him, and the whole time they griped about her leaving them, she was impatiently tapping her foot as the hours passed by. They wanted to head out immediately, but she calmly insisted they needed to refuel and that it was a good time for them to restock on things they could acquire in Kadara. Again.

            She waved a hand, not caring what they thought on this matter, and she made her way out into the darkened streets as she went to Tartarus. He said he was there, she told him to wait for her in a quick message she sent while she was making sure the crew wasn’t too upset with her.

            She was down in the slums, then in Tartarus, listening to the beat of the music that was echoing the beating of her heart. She absently waved to Kian, ignored the smirk on his face, and she was at his door. When it opened she tried to be calm, but his smile, his gaze, she was all turned around and dizzy. When he was close enough she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him, hard and breathless, and when she finally pulled back to really look at him he looked just as dazed as she was.

            “I think I prefer that to ‘hello,’” he chuckled, pecking her lips quickly before he pulled her over towards the couch. “Let’s have a few drinks first.”

            She took a deep breath, having drinks, or anything really, was the furthest thing from her mind at the moment other than having _him_. “Alright,” She agreed, not wanting to be the one to make the first move on that, but she saw the smirk on his face. He was toying with her, teasing her without even saying anything. If he didn’t know what was on her mind, then he truly was clueless, but she had a feeling that he did, and he knew she wouldn’t make the first move.

            “How’s Shannon?” He asked, and she chewed on her lower lip. She especially didn’t want to talk about her brother at the moment.

            “He’s good. Still tired, and weak. Being under cryo for that long and then having the trauma... it’s going to take a bit longer for him to recover.” She was sitting close to him, thighs touching, but she warred with herself on what she should do. So she decided to sip the wine he’d brought out, and she could see him smirking out the corner of her eyes.

            “If he’s half as stubborn as you are, I’m sure he’ll try sneaking his way on board the Tempest soon.”

            “Probably. We snuck our way onto plenty of shuttles when we lived on the Citadel.” She responded. She could be patient about this. She wasn’t going to let him win, though deep down she kind of knew he would.

            “You lived on the Citadel?”

            “Born there.” She leaned into him, taking another drink, letting her empty hand absently brush against the top of his thigh as she set it on to hers.

            He chuckled, “Someone’s a little impatient.” He rumbled quietly and she clenched her jaw.

            “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She lied and heard him set his glass down on the table in front of them before he brushed her hair over her shoulder, kissing her temple and working his way down to her jaw.

            “You’ve always been impatient,” he laughed, blowing cool air over the heated spots he kissed till he was sliding her shirt and bra strap over her shoulder so he could kiss the bare spot there. She stood fast, backing away from him amidst his startled expression.

            “How about we take a walk.” She said, clasping her hands behind her back. She was trying to calm her breathing as she saw the way he looked at her.

            He raised a brow, “A walk? Now? I thought—”

            “A walk to the Tempest.” She said, and she watched the grin spread to his face.

            “And do you have your own _private_ quarters on board?” He stood, sauntering his way over towards her, backing her up against the door. She placed her hands at his waist, resisting the urge to untuck his shirt.

            “It just so happens that I do.” She said, and he kissed her softly, running his hand into her hair.

            “Aren’t you worried about your crew mates hearing… _things_?” He smirked, kissing down her neck again till he kissed up the column of her throat.

            _‘Your quarters are sound proof.’_ She heard SAM privately in her head.

            “SAM, I’m going to need you to not do that now,” She spoke, and Reyes began to laugh.

            “Is he talking about me again?”

            “No,” She said, “just informing me that my quarters are sound proof.” She didn’t need to say any more than that, Reyes was holding her hand and leading her back to the docks. Each little dark corner they could find they’d stop to kiss, to touch each other, feel the heat they were both radiating until they caught their senses enough to move forward.

            She was back at the Tempest, and the hour had grown late. She wondered how she was going to sneak him on board to avoid any awkward encounters.

            “SAM, is anyone awake?”

_“Gil is working on something in the drive core. It seems everyone else is either asleep or at least not in the hallways to your quarters.”_

            “I really need to get me my own fancy AI.” Reyes quipped, and tugged her along. “You heard him, your palace awaits.”

            “Just stop talking before someone hears you.” She told him, and he gave her a quick kiss before they climbed onboard the Tempest. She pulled him back, noticing he was quite fond of leading her, and she went first. Gil was peeking his head over the rail as she entered the cargo hold. “Shite,” she put her hand to her forehead as Reyes popped up behind her and Gil began to laugh. “I don’t want to hear it Gil!” She told him pushing Reyes towards the hallway that lead to the bunks.

            “But—”

            “Not. A word.” She said back, trying to be as quiet as she could. She heard his laughter behind her accompanied by Reyes’s and she rolled her eyes. “I hate all of you.”

            “Aw, am I not going to get the tour?” He asked, turning around, and backing his way up down the hall.

            “No.” She pushed him the last bit further as her doors opened up letting them close behind her. She turned around and began to lock them, when she felt him ease up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. His lips found the swath of uncovered skin at her shoulder, and he left a soft bite at the chord of muscle there. She sucked in a steady breath, relaxing back into him, bracing her hands against the wall as he continued his motions. She was well aware of his hips behind her ass, his chest pressed to her back, and his hand splayed over her stomach as it lead up over the smoothness of her shirt.

            “Is this what you want?” He murmured, voice thick and warm, and oh how she loved the sound of his voice when it touched her ears. She couldn’t bear to admit to him how much she liked the sound of it, the richness of it. She craved it. “Hm?” He let his hands slide down to her hips. She nodded, not wanting to voice it, but that wasn’t enough for him as he took a step back from her. “Is this what you want, Emun?” He asked again as she turned to press her back into the door and he placed his hands on either side of her head.

            “Yes…” Her voice a whisper, chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath.

            “I didn’t quite catch that…” He smirked and she rolled her eyes.

            “Reyes!” She grabbed his shirt, about to pull him to her, but he caught her wrists in his hands and pinned them to the door, sliding his fingers into her palms to lock her hands in his own.

            “Say it,” He brushed his lips across hers and she groaned, wanting to feel the weight of him against her body, but she was struggling with voicing what he already knew.

            “Why?” She breathed, “You already know.”

            “Because I want to hear you say you want me.” He said, “For my own self-indulgence.”

            It took a nip to her neck, and a suck at her rapidly beating pulse and she finally gave in. “Reyes, I want you,” she said breathily.

            He smirked, “You have bad taste in men.”

            “The worst, evidently.” He found her lips finally, sliding his way inside her mouth, and he let his hand fall to her cheek, cupping it as he worked her mouth, and she let him take over, because it was just too much for her to think about. He’d invaded her senses, clouded her, and if he wanted control, which was obvious that he did, then she was going to let him take over.

            She felt her shirt pull from her pants as he slid it over her head, letting it fall to the side and she felt the chill on her skin. He leant down, pressing a kiss beneath her collarbone, his hands gripping her rib cage, and she arched her back at his insistence, fingers skimming the line of her bra till he unsnapped it. He slid it off her shoulders, and she closed her eyes, tensing slightly at the thought of what he was going to do.

            “Relax,” she felt his thumbs caress the underside of her breasts, so close to more sensitive skin and she let out the breath she was holding.

            “I am relaxed.” She sighed, his lips trailing kisses down her chest until he cupped her breast in one hand and let his mouth fall over her aching peak. She sucked in a breath, thinking about how already he’d done more to satisfy her than the other times she’d had sex. How quick those few times had been, unsatisfying on one occasion, and unfulfilled in every other way. Reyes’s attention was on her, every bit of it and she was already feeling the ache between her legs at what it’d be like to have him.

            “You’re shaking,” he breathed, kissing down her stomach till he reached the button of her pants.

            “No, I’m not.” She lied, but she was shaking in anticipation.

            He chuckled, “Just trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

            “I know what I’m doing too!” She balked at him, watching him kneel down before her to take her boots off, then began to slide her pants down her hips, catching her underwear along the way until he was pulling them off her long legs.

            “I never said you didn’t.” He grinned, kissing up her thigh, and her breath caught in her throat at where his mouth seemed to be paving a trail to.

            “We don’t have to do that…” She muttered, not sure she was willing to let all the control leave her.

            “Ah, but I want to. I want to make you feel good, just relax.”

            “You want to drive me crazy,” She breathed, watching him kiss her hip and feeling his hand on her ass, squeezing softly.

            He chuckled, “That too, but I thought I’d already been doing that.”

            She groaned, “No,” she lied, “You—” she let out a soft gasp when he pulled her leg over his shoulder, face now dangerously close to the spot she’d been aching to be touched. He kissed her inner thigh, and she swallowed as she tried to keep her heart from racing from her chest in anticipation.

            “Already wet for me?” He said as she felt his thumbs part her folds. But before she could tell him to shut up about his teasing she felt his tongue slide against her, finding her aching bud and she put her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle the sudden whimper that wanted to escape her lips. She gripped his other shoulder with her free hand, shirt caught tightly in her fist as he worked her. “I want to hear you,” he purred, a kiss to her thigh after he pulled back his head, and she trembled at his words, the _way_ he said them, but shook her head. “Don’t make me tie your hands back.” He chuckled, sucking her back into his mouth, tongue sliding down and back up as he lapped it against her.

            She let her hand fall from her mouth, panting, chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath. She let out a moan, trying to keep herself under some amount of control, but failing, letting the breathy pants escape her.

            “That’s it, baby, let me hear you.” She heard him say, hitting a good spot that had her slightly curling forward. He held onto her hip, keeping her steady as she quietly whimpered a little quicker than she had been before. She was almost reaching that peak, trying to keep herself in check, but she gasped again, feeling herself swell and suddenly she tensed, a low moan escaping her as she came, feeling the intensity, but the loss as her sex pulled at nothing.

            She tried to catch her breath as he aimed to coax another moan from her, another twinge of pleasure hitting her as he kept hold of her hips. He let her leg fall to the floor, and she heard the chuckle escape him as he rose to his feet.

            “I told you I could make you feel good,” he said, swiping his hand over his mouth, before he pressed her back into the door, lips at her neck. She was trying to catch her breath, finally finding her wits as he held her up, and she dipped her hands beneath the belt of his pants to grip his ass. “Slow down,” he chuckled. “We have all night.”

            But she didn’t slow down, wasn’t about to slow down. “I want you, Reyes,” She breathed, “inside me.” She felt him still, probably not expecting her to admit that out loud without any coaxing. He crushed his lips to hers, hurriedly pulling off his belt. She pulled his shirt out of his pants, tugging it off him, breaking their kiss only to find his mouth back on hers. He began to lead her back towards the bed, grapping her ass in his hands, and she let out a breathy chuckle, head dipping back and he kissed down her throat until he eased her onto her bed. She watched him step out of his pants, saw him hard and ready, and she caught his eyes with hers, cheeks heating up at him catching her watching him.

            “Like what you see?”

            “Just stop talking,” She breathed and he laughed as he eased over top of her, kissing her back.

            “That’s not going to happen.” He said, thumbs sliding over her nipples causing her to writhe as he grinned. “You’re so responsive.” She bit her lower lip, then wrapped her legs around his hips to pull him closer. She felt him line the seam of her, and she took this opportunity to roll her hips and he shuddered, bracing his arms on either side of her.

            “I told you what I want,” she panted, bucking her hips again to slide over the length of him. She could see his shoulders tense as he gasped, laughing.

            “Alright,” he groaned, “alright, loosen your legs,” he told her and she did while watching him carefully as he gripped himself and guided his tip to her entrance. He looked up at her, and she closed her eyes as he sunk himself inside of her so slow, easing his way in inch by inch. She could feel the tight pull and she sucked in a shaky breath as he hilted himself inside of her. She panted softly and he stayed still, looking her over, and she found his eyes, his hazel gaze intense as he clenched his jaw.

            He looked down the length of them, and she felt his eyes come back to hers. “You’re so beautiful.” He shuddered again, and she could feel the quake in him down to his thighs. She looked away at his reverence, and he shifted so he could turn her face back to his. “Do not be ashamed.”

            “I’m not,” she swallowed.

            “Then,” he panted, voice strained as he tried to keep himself from moving within her, “what is it?” He trailed his finger down the side of her face, skimming against a curl.

            “It’s just…” She gasped, “You make me _feel_.” She finally admitted, and he grinned, kissing her, arching his hips to slide out and back inside her, causing the both of them to let out a long, dragged groan. “Oh, Reyes,” She moaned, hearing him let out a grunt.

            He buried his head into the crook of her shoulder and sucked on her neck hearing him mutter that she was tight.

            “It’s been, ah, over six hundred years.” She responded, and he slowed the motion of his hips, trying to drag this all out as long as he could.

            “So, I am your first in Andromeda?” He chuckled, running his hand up her thigh and rocking back into her. “Am I?” He panted, kissing her mouth hungrily.

            “Yes,” She whimpered, wrapping her leg around his waist as he thrust back into her, long and languid and she tried to buck her hips a little faster.

            He let out a breathy chuckle, “slow down,” he grunted, grabbing her hip and trying to keep a steady pace. “So impatient,” he whispered in her ear, pressing his body down onto her to keep her from moving her hips too fast.

            “Reyes,” she groaned, and he found her mouth again, taking her into another hazy kiss as her senses blurred. He thrust into her hard, and she moaned low unable to continue kissing him. He began to speed up the motion of his hips, rocking into her faster and she squeezed him tighter, causing him to falter. He let out a throaty moan of his own and she couldn’t help the noises that escaped her, feeling an intense pleasure blooming in her core.

            She whimpered, almost there, holding onto his back tightly as he drove inside her, “Emun,” he gasped, voice strained and he ground his hips into hers. She cried out, walls tightening around the thickness of him and he came with her, letting out a shuddering groan as he buried his face into her neck.

            She loosened her grip from his back, relaxing as she let the twinges of pleasure wrack her. They could barely catch their breath as he finally began to kiss her breath away once more. “You are something else,” he panted, taking a moment to gather himself before he moved from crushing her. She hadn’t said anything yet, still trying to recover from how intense it all was. It really had been awhile, and she wasn’t expecting everything to be that smooth, but with Reyes she probably should’ve expected it.

            “Are you alright?” He asked, moving to his side to get a look at her.

            Cheeks flushed, she began to nod, “Um, yes… I only… I need a moment.”

            He smirked at her, “that good, hm?” He kissed up her neck and she groaned, pulling his face to meet her lips.

            “Cocky bastard,” she breathed against him, and broke away from him, still breathless and letting out a sigh.

            He laughed, settling down beside her, pulling the covers up over both of them, the chill in the air beginning to cool them off. They settled into a comfortable silence, facing each other, and she started to withdraw, not because of him, but because her mind was wandering over so many different things. The upcoming mission was most present on her mind. Gil was right, it would be dangerous, and she was worried, worried about not coming back to him, coming back to this.

            “I see those wheels turning,” he kissed her forehead, hand caressing her hip until he reached up, lightly stroking his finger across her collar bone. “Is everything alright?”

            “Yeah, yes.” She said absently. “I just… Never thought Andromeda would end up like this.”

            “You mean you never thought you’d end up in bed with an exile turned smuggler?” He chuckled lightly.

            “No! No, I meant… Maybe partly, but no… I didn’t think I’d end up being chased by evil beings. Or chasing after them.”

            “What’s going on?” He asked, concern lacing his voice. “You’re going after them?”

            She nodded, “Yes… Soon.”

            He let out a sigh, running his hand through his hair. “Were you going to tell me?”

            “Yes. I’m telling you now.”

            His hand slid across her jaw, hand running into her hair. “Try not to…” He trailed off.

            “I’m an infiltrator. I’ll be in and out before the Archon even knows I’m there.”

            He shook his head, but kissed her again. She let out a sigh, enjoying the distraction until he pulled away again.

            “I never thought I’d end up here either.” He said. “But if things hadn’t gone so terribly wrong on the Nexus, then I wouldn’t be here with you.”

            “Do you regret leaving?”

            “I’d do all of it over again in a heartbeat. All of it.” He answered quickly. “Maybe I would’ve picked some better people to spend my free time with, but I can’t exactly change that.” She started to chuckle, and he propped himself up a little on his forearm. “Are you actually laughing?” He grinned.

            “Stop it! I laugh.”

            “I have yet to hear a proper one. Sounds lovely.”  He said, and she smiled up at him. “Would you change anything?”

            “Maybe a few things… mostly… no.”

            “I’m sorry about the way things started for you. We at least got here and started with some hope you were all not far behind…”

            She swallowed, keeping her head resting on her arm as she stared at nothing in particular now. She felt his fingers at her temple, sliding back into her hair and she closed her eyes, enjoying the closeness and intimacy of this moment. She was never really one to be touchy feely, but she was enjoying every little caress Reyes was doing. It all felt so natural, so comfortable, and she hadn’t expected any of this at all, especially not with a man like him. Yet, she had longed to feel this a time ago, had given up on it, and she wanted to keep it for as long as possible now that she had it.

            “You seem sad.” He commented.

            “What are we doing?” She finally asked, quietly, regretting it almost as soon as it left her lips.

            “We are lying in bed together.” He said and she let out a sigh. “Ever the over thinker, yes?”

            “What am I to you, Reyes?” She wanted to know. “Jokes aside.”

            He answered her quickly, as if he’d already been thinking of this. “I want to be yours, and I want you to be mine.”

            “Am I the only one?”

            “Of course. Promise.”

            “Every time you promise me something I think you’re lying.”

            “Emun, when I’m serious about someone, they’re my only focus. You are a good judge of bullshit, plus SAM could fish out anything false I’m sure. If you’d like to put me through that test, then by all means. Also, I’m pretty sure Keema would kill me. You have nothing to worry about.”

            “What about when I’m gone? I won’t be close to Kadara all the time.”

            “It will make reuniting all the more worth it.” He grinned, leaning back down to capture her lips. After a moment she parted from him with a soft huff, smiling and turned on her other side.

            “You just think you’re so smooth,” She said, and felt him wrap his arm around her to pull her back to his chest. He chuckled as he kissed her shoulder, letting his hand wander down her stomach.

            “I’ve had to be, but it’s never been more satisfying than when I use my charms on you.”

            “You like to make a fool of me,” she sighed, relaxing into him and running her hand down his forearm. He slipped his palm lower until he slid his hand between her thighs, finger lightly caressing its way between her folds.

            “Never,” he kissed up her neck. “But you are fun to tease,” he breathed, sliding his digit into her warmth. She moaned softly, each long slide of his finger just barely entering her and rolling back over her clit was starting to build. “I like it when you moan,” he said huskily into her ear and she could feel his hardening length at her back. “Even better when it’s my name,” he purred, applying pressure to his finger and she bit her lip, feeling him kiss her cheek. She felt him roll his hips as he grunted, and she couldn’t help arching back into him, creating the friction he was desperately seeking. His mouth was on her shoulder, sucking, teeth nibbling as he moved his other arm underneath her so he could reach around and play with her breast. She felt her senses spread, like he was everywhere at once, her mind not able to focus on what touch was where, just that it all felt so good.

            “You are irresistible, Emun.”

            “Reyes,” She moaned, reaching around to grab his thigh, hand kneading, trying to coax him into more.

            “And I thought I was the greedy one.” His lips lightly touched the shell of her ear, breath cooling all the spots he’d kissed on her neck.

            “Bastard,” she breathed, as he slowed down his finger, sliding slower and slower until she felt the loss of his hand. He reached between them, grabbing himself to slip back into her core in one fluid motion. He wrapped his arm around her waist, rolling his hips as he molded against her. He grunted, and she felt satisfied when she heard how vocal he could be as well. The build was slow, dreamy even, she was tired before and even more tired now, but she matched his motions as best as she could, squeezing his arm and softly moaning. He rolled his hips faster, thrusting to meet their end, and he reached down to stroke her and she cried out, sheath clamping down to pull him tighter, deeper, and he groaned loudly into her ear, holding her tightly as he thrust inside her a few more times.

            He continued to hold her, and she stayed nestled against his chest, not wanting to move away from him. He finally relaxed, finding her hand and sliding his fingers between hers. She felt herself slipping into sleep, content, and completely relaxed for the first time in a very long while.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of Ryder and Reyes in this chapter! I promise the next chapter will have more :D

            When Reyes woke it was still dark out, the morning not having yet creeped up on them. He stretched, joints popping, but he was completely relaxed for the first time in a while. He didn’t have to worry about someone knowing who he was, someone sneaking into his small flat in the slums or his room in Tartarus. He was safe, safe with her, and it was a comforting feeling.

            She was lying on her stomach beside him, facing away, breathing so softly he could barely tell if she was breathing at all. When he leaned over to catch sight of her, she was so relaxed, her face almost looked different in the dim light. He actually liked her frown, the always questioning and always watching veneer. It made her who she was, she wasn’t vulnerable or weak like sleep portrayed, yet he would enjoy when she was completely vulnerable, but only for him.

            He smoothed his hand over her back, the blanket had slipped just above her rear, and he could hear a soft sigh escape her at his light touch. He carefully leaned over, finding her hand to slip his fingers between hers, and kissed her softly on her shoulder.

            “Emun,” He whispered close to her ear.

            “Hm…?” She responded, though just barely, sleep still heavily set upon her and he smiled.

            “I don’t want to leave… But it’s best if I do.” He said sadly, knowing that if he stayed any longer he’d fall back into her comforting presence, slip soundly back to sleep, and be here till sun up. As much as he liked that idea he knew she would be extremely embarrassed having him waltz his way on out the Tempest for her crew to see. He could play it off, a cheeky wave here and there, but he knew she didn’t want to be teased mercilessly.

            “Mmhm…” Came her dreamy reply, and he chuckled quietly to himself.

            Dipping his head down, he kissed her at the corner of her mouth, and she moved slightly allowing him to capture her mouth. It was sweet, and he was delving into unfamiliar territory with her. He’d never wanted one person so badly like he’d wanted her. He wanted to share so many moments with her, he almost didn’t know how to handle the depth of the feelings he was discovering he had. Especially the ones for her, the aching, the longing after she left for missions. He worried about her, but he didn’t want to send her too many messages, knowing she had a duty to fulfill and that she was quite capable. It still didn’t ease his wandering thoughts.

            He eased himself away from her as she settled back into her dreamy state. He was reluctant to part from her, but he got up, shrugging back into his clothes despite wanting to remain naked lying beside her. He found a notebook, actual pencil and paper, and he shouldn’t have been surprised that she would have something so old fashioned. There were notes on the Archon, what she knew about the Kett leader, which wasn’t much at this time. He flipped the page and tore out a blank piece, beginning to write a note for her. He left it on the table beside her bed, kneeling down and kissing her cheek before he finally left.

            It wasn’t hard for him to find a way out without having to go through the hangar door. He found a safety hatch somewhere, stealthily leaving without a trace. He kept looking back on his way out of the docks, wanting to go back and slip back into the warmth of her bed with her.

            He was smiling like an idiot, not able to help it. There was just something about her that drew him to her. Maybe it was the way she tried so hard not to let him win, or maybe it was the subtle way she did let him take over, but he hadn’t realized that he had been trying to win her over right from the start. It was gradual how much he came to care for her, but he had been fond of her ever since she refused his drinks the first time they met.

            He had to try and focus on his way back to the slums, there was still a chance that outcasts were out and about. They’d done their best to gather them all up, but considering he was pretty good at laying low, he knew there was still a possibility there were some lurking around, and one could never be too careful. He was pretty confident that they’d rounded them all up, but there was still a lot they were trying to work out of Kaetus.

            There was a lightness to his feet as he worked his way back towards Tartarus. He figured he could catch some last minute shut eye before the day really got started. He hoped Emun would come find him before she left, but knowing her, she’d probably overthink what happened between them and need time to process it all.

            He felt himself smile again; he’d never met someone so complicated, especially when it came to relationships. Though most of his were short lived, he figured he might have had more experience than her when it came to actual relationships.

            He paused a moment, looking around as he got to the stairs that led to Tartarus’s second level. He felt a chill run down his spine, like someone was watching him. He didn’t see anything, but the wind was blowing in the darkness that surrounded him, a light shudder as it swept into the crevasse. There was a dim light that spread into the surrounding area, mostly the glow from Tartarus. He didn’t see anything, and he heard nothing save for the wind that surrounded him. He made his way up the steps and went inside the bar, music pulsating around him as he headed to his room. He marveled at the people who were still in this place at this hour; they’d be going till the sun came up.

            He made it inside and went over to the couch, sitting down and tossing his boots aside. He’d forgotten to turn his comm back on, and though he rather not turn it on before he was about to go back to sleep, he decided to check it in case he missed any messages. Sure enough, there were a few missed calls from Keema, and he worried a little at her persistence. He tried to call her and her harried voice entered his ears.

            _“Reyes, where on Kadara have you been?”_ She asked, worry touching her voice.

            “Are you alright, Keema?”

            _“Yes, I’m fine. But I have bad news, Reyes, and I hate to put a damper on your night considering I have a feeling I know where you’ve been, or rather_ whom _you’ve been with.”_

            He chuckled, smile plastered on his face. “Keema, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

            _“Right. You’ll have to inform me later, but this matter is urgent.”_

            “What’s going on? Should we be talking over the comms?” He asked.

            _“I need to warn you now, and I know it’s not wise to communicate this via our channel, but it’s urgent.”_

            “Alright then, tell me.”

            _“Reyes… Kaetus has escaped.”_

 

\---

 

              

            The journey back to the Nexus was becoming a familiar one to and from Kadara lately. Waking up that morning after had been met with a stupid grin on her face, and trying to hide that same idiotic smile the rest of the day, especially after reading his note he’d left. She figured he wouldn’t be there when she woke, faintly remembering sweet touches and goodbyes in the middle of the night. She’d been so content, so sated, that she slept through his leave despite normally being a light sleeper.

            Damn him, he sure knew how to operate, work her in all the right places that still made her ache when thinking about it. It made leaving without saying goodbye in person that much harder, but maybe it was better that way. She didn’t know what kind of trouble this mission was going to bring, and she’d rather leave it at a blissful night and a warming note.

            She’d called him before she left to ask if he was close by, but he regretfully told her he wasn’t in the port or at Tartarus. He had things he had to attend to, nothing for her to be concerned about, of course. It was obviously code for ‘something _is_ going on, but I don’t want you to know about it… Yet.’ If it was something big she was going to throttle him, but for now she let it slide, knowing if anything it was probably something he wanted to protect her from, and though the thought of being ‘protected’ was annoying, she understood where he was coming from.

            She’d seen the worry that had creased his brow that night in bed; how he wanted to tell her not to go, but knowing that he couldn’t say or do anything that would stop her. Keeping her from running into danger was akin to him keeping his secrets. Both of them were going to keep doing what they were doing despite the fact that they’d promised otherwise. She was too stubborn, and so was he.

            They’d made it back to the Nexus and she headed down to the med bay on the Hyperion to see if Shannon was up. When she entered she saw Harry working with Shannon, walking with him across the room. She was elated he was up, and she hurried over towards them.

            “Oh, Emun! Always good to see you!” Harry said and Shannon sent a glare her way.

            “You weren’t supposed to leave…” He grumbled.

            “I’m sorry, I left a few crew members on Kadara in my haste to get back here. To see you in the first place, I might add.”

            “Yeah, uh huh… Sure.” He groused, being difficult because he hadn’t gotten his way.

            “Shan, what’s really wrong?”

            He glanced at Harry and he put his hands up stepping away from the twins and Shannon blew out a sigh. “It’s just… I’m getting antsy being cooped up here!”

            “Well, you’ll have to get used to it. You had a traumatizing experience, Shan, it’s best you continue to work with Harry and get some rest.”

            “I’m tired of sleeping,” He whined. “I need to be on board your ship.” He insisted and she shook her head.

            “That’s not going to happen just yet.”

            He scoffed, “Well, _when_ will it happen?”

            “I don’t know,” She shrugged, “You’ll have to ask Harry.”

            “I have asked him. He said it’ll be a while. And I don’t agree with that answer. I don’t have to come out on topside missions, Emun, just let me come on board and be a part of your crew. Harry keeps raving about how great Dr. T’Perro is, why can’t I just come on board?”

            “Because knowing you, we’ll be out on a mission and then I’ll look over and see you trotting your way over going ‘Hey, guys,’ like nothing’s the matter. You need to rest, Shannon, that’s final.”

            He crossed his arms. “You know, I’m older than you, sis, you can’t boss me around.”

            “And who exactly was the one always bailing your ass out of trouble?”

            He sighed, “Fine. You. But if it wasn’t for me, your skills as an infiltrator wouldn’t be as good as they are now. You were always good at finding ways out of bad places.”

            “And you were always good at getting us in trouble.”

            Shannon put up his finger, “Okay, but I’m not the one who swiped that highbrow bottle of scotch from one of dad’s buddies during that Christmas party on the Citadel.”

            She shook her head, Shan would never let her live that down. “That was one time, and you won’t shut up about it.”

            “I can think of other times you got us in trouble and it wasn’t me.” He pointed to his face, indicating the old burn scar underneath his left eye that nearly matched the one underneath her right.

            “We were kids, Shan, let it go,” She shook her head.

            Shrugging, he nudged her shoulder. “Hey, I’m not complaining, the ladies love the scar.”

            “Because you lie about how it happened.”

            “Because telling the truth wasn’t as interesting. I remember someone talking about Commander Shepard’s scar and how she got it, then someone mentioned how there was about twenty-five different stories about _how_ she got it.”

            Emun let out a chuckle, smiling at her brother. “Six-hundred something years later and you still have a crush on the Commander.”

            “What? Shut up, no I don’t. Besides talk about fangirl, you use a black widow because of her.”

            She shrugged, “She was an N7 like dad, and she had good taste in sniper rifles. I’ll never forget your face the day we happened to run into her on the Citadel.”

            “Hmm,” he hummed, “best day of my life.” He placed his palm to his cheek and Emun began to laugh. Oh, it felt so good to be around her brother again, and she hated that she was leaving as soon as they had fully stocked the Tempest for their mission. “Too bad I heard she and Major Alenko had a thing. I think we would’ve been perfect for each other.”

            “Shan, you’re hopeless.” She grinned at him, and he slung his arm around her shoulder.

            “Maybe, but we can be hopeless together, yeah?”

            “Yeah.” She said, and they talked a little longer before she finally parted from him when Vetra told her they were ready to go when she got back. She hugged her brother, tight, feeling like this could be goodbye for good, but not wanting to tell him the truth about it. She knew she should, but it would only further his insistence to come on board and she didn’t have the will to keep telling him no if he begged much longer.

            When she was finally back on board the Tempest she gathered the crew up in the meeting room and they discussed their plan of action. It was going to be difficult, but they all knew they had to take this chance. They parted from each other, and she made her way to the bridge to tell Kallo they were leaving. Once that had been settled and they were in the air and on their way, she decided to head back to her quarters and she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Shannon sitting on the edge of her bed. And he was reading the note Reyes had left. Her cheeks burned as she stomped over towards him, swiping it from his hands.

            “What the hell do you think we’re doing here?!” She said, her brow furrowed as she glared his way.

            “Uh, who exactly is this guy and why is he using phrases like ‘leaving during the night’ and words like kiss regarding you?”

            “Oh god,” She groaned, stuffing the note into her pocket. “I’m not doing this.”

            “Oh yes, yes we are doing this! You’re with someone and you didn’t tell me?!”

            “I haven’t had the chance, and it’s not any of your business, Shan.” She shot back.

            “It certainly is my business! Do you have a boyfriend? Are you… _sleeping_ with him?!” When he saw the look on her face he stood up from the bed. “No, absolutely not.”

            She put her hand to her face shaking her head. “You’re being ridiculous, Shan. It’s none of your concern.”

            “I need to know who this guy is. What’s he like, what does he do? He’s back on that Kadara planet isn’t he? I haven’t heard good things about Kadara, Emun, please don’t tell me he’s some sort of criminal.” She raised her brows at that, bobbing her head back and forth. “Oh, no… No, Emun, really? Do you love this bloke?”

            “What? No!” She denied, though the thought made her stomach fill with butterflies. “Shannon, cut it out. You never played the overprotective big brother card before, don’t start doing it now.”

            “That you know of…” He mumbled and she raised her brows once more.

            “What is that supposed to mean?”

            “Well… There was this one time in a bar on the Citadel… I heard this guy bragging about sleeping with you… I knew he wasn’t full of it because he mentioned the scar on your thigh so…”

            “So what?”

            “My fist may have slipped? A few times. Five. Six at the most.”

            “This really couldn’t get any worse.” She grumbled. “Shan, I don’t need you to protect me.”

            “I’m well aware of that. He muttered something about getting the crap beaten out of him by the both of us. You sure know how to pick them.”

            She rolled her eyes, “I was bored and curious. He was attractive and asked.”

            “Emun, really?”

            She shrugged, “What were you doing in a bar? We were sixteen.”

            “Not the point. We’re talking about _this_ guy now.”

            She shook her head, “No, we’re not.” She watched him start to sway a little, a faraway look in his eyes. “Shan?” She quickly rushed over to him, and his knees collapsed from underneath him. She managed to catch him then ease him back onto her bed. “SAM!” She called out.

            _“His heart rate has dropped, I believe fatigue is the cause.”_

            She raced to the door, opening it to call out for Lexi who came rushing from the med bay. “What’s wrong?”

            “It’s Shannon, he snuck on board and now he’s passed out.” She said as she watched Lexi rush to his side.

            “What’s going on?” She turned to see Liam at her doorway.

            “My brother snuck on board and he’s still sick!” She told him.

            “Let’s get him into the med bay.” Lexi told them, and Liam followed Emun as they hefted Shannon up and draped his arms around their shoulders to carry him into Lexi’s domain. She was pacing while Lexi checked his vitals, Liam patting her on the shoulder.

            “He’s going to be fine,” Lexi told them. “He put a little too much strain on his body. He just needs more rest, he’s far too weak still.”

            “We should turn around and bring him back to the Nexus.” Emun said.

            _“Our course is already set for the Archon’s coordinates. We’ve already lost enough time, perhaps we should keep going.”_ SAM spoke up and Emun warred with herself. She wanted Shannon here, but she didn’t want him to be at risk.

            “Do we have the proper items to keep him stable?” She asked.

            _“Dr. T’Perro is well stocked and more than capable.”_ SAM answered.

            “I know she’s capable.” Emun told SAM.

            “It’s alright, Emun, I know what you meant,” Lexi chuckled. “I’ll look after Shannon it’s alright, we’ve got a task at hand so don’t worry. I’ve got him.”

            She blew out a sigh, “Thank you, Lexi. Sorry that my brother’s a pain in the ass.”

            “I’m sensing a trend in the Ryder family.” Lexi smiled and Emun smiled back.

            “You wouldn’t be wrong, I suppose.”

            “So mission’s still green? You gonna be good, Emmy?” Liam asked.

            “Yes, I’ll be fine. As long as he doesn’t try to join us onboard the Archon’s damn ship.”

            “Would he do that?” Liam asked.

            “Yes, he would.”

            “Why does that not surprise me?” Lexi laughed.

           

\---

 

            They hadn’t expected to find the Salarian ark when they found the Archon’s ship, and yet they’d stumbled upon it, hooked in and latched on to the imposing Kett vessel. They’d infiltrated the ship, finding Pathfinder Raeka and touching base with the small crew that had awoken. It was a race to find the Salarians on board the Kett vessel, and a race to find the relic.

            They’d already run into their fair share of trouble, but so far she, Liam, and Drack had been doing alright, able to hold their own even amidst a barrage of Kett. The three of them worked well together, while she hung back and sniped what she could, the two of them would charge forward, and flush them out of cover for her to take them out as well.

            Every time they moved forward it was as if they were travelling further into the belly of the beast. Each new route they had to take, or each bunch of Kett in their way only made her more nervous that they’d run into the Archon himself. She wasn’t sure of what to expect running into him face to face, and she had a feeling she’d find out soon.

            They moved further ahead, Emun got to a door to hack it open and they’d step aside to peek inside, like clockwork and a well-oiled machine, they were careful. This was serious, and they all had focus on their minds.

            The room was empty, it seemed innocent enough as they stepped forward, however once further in SAM radioed in.

            _“Ryder, caution.”_ But it was too late, and she felt a surge throughout her body, gun falling to the floor as the three of them were suspended in the air by some sort of field.

            “What is hell?!” Liam called out, “Guys, ideas?”

            “Working on it,” Emun gritted her teeth, trying to move something, but finding she couldn’t. The doors opened before them, the Archon strutting his way towards them, and she tried to resist the prison even more.

            “It’s useless to struggle,” he said and she stared him down as he got closer. “For decades I’ve been in this cluster with only useless specks to surround me. Then you arrive, you humans, able to do what has eluded me for so long.”  He looked the three of them over, his guards flanking him and watching them carefully. “You were even able to evade me. You’ve become an unlikely rival, invigorating at one point, though now you’ve become a nuisance. It’s a fitting end that your careless curiosity has brought you to me. Such arrogance you possess.”

            “What are you planning to do with me then?” She asked.

            “Whatever I please,” He grabbed her neck first and she sucked in a breath at the pressure when he squeezed. “You humans are so fragile.”

            “HEY!” Drack shouted, “Try that with me, I dare you!” She could hear him grunting, struggling to get out of the field, but it was useless.

            The Archon ignored Drack, bringing his hand to clutch her jaw as he moved her head from side to side, examining her. “What makes you so special?” He muttered, and she clenched her jaw, uncomfortable with the way he was handling her, but letting her mask show that she was calm. She was, but she was also fuming at being helpless and walking into this damned trap.

            “Unbind me and I’ll show you what makes me special.” She threatened.

            He chuckled and she felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck then the burning sensation of an injection flowing into her body. She grunted, Drack and Liam beginning to shout more.

            “Your testing begins now with this first sample. I will learn your secrets soon enough.”

            She was breathing a little harder, worry set upon her about what he’d just injected her with.

            _‘I’m attempting to neutralize the biological transmitter in your bloodstream now.’_ SAM said to her privately. The Archon was distracted, speaking to whomever had just contacted him on the comms.

            “Save your strength, human.” He said to her. “You will need it for later.” They watched them leave.

            “Raeka must be in trouble,” Liam grunted when the doors closed.

            “SAM,” Emun said aloud. “Do you have a way out of this?”

_“The containment field interacts only with living matter. If you expire, the field around you will extinguish until manually reset. You know that I can enhance your physiology. I can also do the opposite.”_

            “Wait, what?” Liam spoke up, but Emun knew exactly what SAM meant.

            He wouldn’t have suggested it had there not been another way. They were out of options, and unless she wanted to subject her friends to cruel torture and experimentation this was the only way.

            “Do it, SAM.”

            “Wait! Hold up, kid! Do you realize what this means?” Drack asked.

            “Yes. I’ll die.”

            “And I would attempt to resuscitate.” SAM added.

            “Are you serious?!”

            “If you have any other suggestions, Liam, I’m all ears, but at the moment you’re in the same predicament.” Emun told him.

            “Yeah, but… You dying? Emmy, you’ve already practically died once, what if you don’t come back this time?”

            “It’ll be fine,” though she had to admit her heart was beating rapidly, and she tried to calm it down. There was no hesitation though. “Do it, SAM.” She repeated.

            “You better come back to us, kid.” She heard Drack mutter.

            _“Stopping your heart…”_ She swallowed hard, feeling her mind beginning to cloud. _“Now.”_ And it was lights out. The switch was immediately thrown and she was surrendered to darkness. She didn’t know if she heard all of this during, but after she woke up, gasping for her, chest throbbing in pain, she swore she could hear the echo of SAM’s voice. _‘Stimulating the cardiovascular core’_ still sounded in her head as she tried to catch her bearings.

            “You alright, kid? KID! Talk to us!” Drack shouted.

            _“Ryder. Ryder. Emun, you must ease your breathing, steady now. I’m attempting to calm your system.”_ SAM spoke and her vision finally came back to her, though her hands were still shaking. She felt weak, everything in her body ached and her head felt fuzzy, but she rolled over, able to get to her knees. She could finally feel her breathing beginning to even out, and she attempted to stand though she fell back to her knees.

            “Emmy, take it easy!” She heard Liam, and she nodded back his way.

            “I’ve got… I’ve got to get you guys out…” She said, and all at once she began to see flashes of her past enter her mind.

            _‘I’m going to give both of you the implant,’_ she heard her father’s voice echo in her head various memories beginning to fly quickly past her.

            _‘You two need to be more careful.’_ Her mother’s voice, it was bittersweet to hear it. _‘What if you lost your sight?’_

            _‘Come on, you have to come to Andromeda too. I can’t go without you.’_ It was Shannon this time, she could see his face, blurry and tinged with the same blue light that the other memories were bathed in, hoping that she’d agree to come on this journey with them. _‘Besides… you can’t leave me alone with da.’_

            _‘You look like you’re waiting for someone.’_ A whisper from Reyes.

            _‘Remember…’_ her mother’s voice echoed in her head once again, over and over, _remember, remember_. _‘Fall in love at least once.’_

            _‘_ _Baby, are you alright?’_

            _‘I’m sorry I wasn’t a better father…’_

_‘Don’t leave like this.’_

            “SAM?” She gritted her teeth, her head beginning to pound.

            _“These are the memories that flashed through your mind when you were dead. Focus past them.”_

            She touched her forehead to the cool floor, trying to silence her mind and ease the flood of thoughts hitting her.

            “SAM, what the hell’s wrong with her?” Liam’s voice resonated over the voices in her head.

            “I’m going to destroy your AI core if you don’t stop what’s going on! Kid! KID, come out of this! Fight it!”

            She steadied her breathing, the tension in her head beginning to ease. She felt weaker than before the flood of memories, and she felt around for the console that she’d managed to crawl close to. She lifted from the floor, arm shakily reaching up till she was grasping the edge of it and she managed to pull herself up.

            “Slow down, kid.” Drack said, and she stubbornly ignored him.

            “What do I press, SAM?” He gave her instructions and she did her best to follow them, watching the forcefield dissipate and drop the two of them from its hold. They both rushed over to her, Drack holding her steady.

            “You need to stop dying. It’s not funny.” Liam said to her.

            “I’ll be happy to stop…” She said and watched him pull out a flask of water from his pocket.

            “Here, drink some water.”

            She took it, hands shaking, and he held his hand over hers to keep it steady as she pressed it to her lips. She drank the whole thing, and it felt so good as it slipped down her throat, like she hadn’t had a drink in years.  She took a moment to finally catch her bearings and then straightened up despite the dizzy feeling that plagued her.

            “How do we get out of here, SAM?”

            “Can you take a moment to slow down?” Liam asked.

            “We don’t have a moment. We have to keep moving.” She was determined, and trudged forward when SAM told them where to go to open a hatch that would get them out of this room. They found disturbing entries that the Kett had gathered on the Milky Way races so far. It was unnerving, they barely regarded them as beings which had a thought process of their own.

            They finally found the hatch, and after a while, though she was slow going, they continued past tanks with Salarians and a lone mutated Krogan in it until they found they arrived at the door to the Archon’s chamber. Once inside they found it was filled with Remnant relics, the Kett leader was obsessed, more obsessed than they had initially thought. He was consumed with discovering the secrets the Remnants held, and she knew it was for all the wrong reasons.

            They finally found the relic they were looking for, and she put her hand out, scanning it which caused it to activate. It bloomed with lights, stars, a map that they had been searching aimlessly for.

            “It’s Meridian,” She said, almost breathless. It painted a pretty picture, and she was enthralled by the little stars that made up the map.

            “Coordinates secured.” SAM said, and she immediately jumped when she heard the Archon’s voice behind her. The three of them held their guns up, but it was only a hologram heading their way.

            “So that’s what you boarded my ship for.” He spoke, and Emun looked around for a moment making sure that was the only thing that occupied the room with them. “You are ignorant. There’s more to Meridian than you realize. I will not allow you to defile it with your foolish intrusion.”

            “I’m not as useless as you think I am.” She said and he responded simply enough.

            “The artificial intelligence in your head has helped you thus far. I saw what transpired in the laboratory. I know what makes you special.” His hologram turned, walking away, as if the Archon himself was in the room with them. “Meridian is mine. I’ve tolerated your nuisance long enough. I will destroy your vessels, and you will be stranded here.”

            She realized he must’ve been walking towards a control panel where he was at, possibly to fire the guns. “Captain, fire the EMP!” She said quickly and all at once the electric field dissipated and the alarms went off.

            A low growl rumbled after a moment, and she had a bad feeling. “I really hope that’s not what I think it is.” Liam said, and they all got ready, hearing the sounds of Kett forces entering the room.

            She posted herself behind one of the stands, and Drack was by her side. “You gonna be alright, kid? You’re still not a hundred percent after that little stunt you pulled.”

            “I’ll be fine, Drack. Worry about yourself.” She told him, and he nodded as he found his own spot. She sniped a Kett she spotted that popped his head up over the upper right console in the room. Liam and Drack were beginning to take them out on either side. She could feel the ache in her arms as she held up her heavy rifle, and the fatigue was still settled heavily upon her.

            Stomping footsteps were crashing up the middle of the room, and she caught sight of the mutated Krogan barreling her way. She sniped it, tagging it right in the face, but it didn’t stop. “Fuck,” She muttered, shooting again, but it was closing in on her. She quickly got up, trying to back away from it when it backhanded her across the gut, sending her sliding across the floor and knocking the wind from her lungs.

            It moved closer, and she held up her arm to blast it with her cryo tool, hearing the cracks of the ice as it froze it, and then the subsequent breaking of it as it struggled to move its limbs. She backed away from it, and it was about to break the ice on its legs and arms when Drack came flying in with a loud roar, crashing into the beast and shooting it several times with his weapon.

            “Worry about myself, eh?” He said, making his way over towards her to heft her to her feet.

            “I had it.” She said stubbornly, but before he could respond she clutched his arm. “Thank you.”

            “Ah, don’t go getting soft on me again, kid.”

            “All clear.” Liam called. “We better get moving, yeah?”

            They made their way out the room, Drack holding onto her for a bit longer until she found the will to jog behind the two of them. She just really wanted to sleep, but the problems kept surfacing.

            Raeka was in trouble, but SAM informed her that Drack’s scouts were nearby. She didn’t have time to save both, and she bit her lip as she quickly tried to think of the best course of action. Saving the Krogan would be more logical, less hot blood in the long run, and the Krogan already suffered too much in this new galaxy trying their best to make a fresh start. She hated having to make this decision, but she made the call and left it behind her, saving the Krogan as they fought their way out of the Kett ship.

            Her blood was pumping, adrenaline coursing through her as they ran over top the ship, hopping into the Tempest amidst gun fire, and the storm brewing around them in the atmosphere. Once they were finally on board, she practically crashed, feeling the pull of the ship as they hit their speed and jetted out of this system.

            She was lying on the floor, hearing clouded, muffled voices surrounding her as she finally felt the grip and tug of people lifting her. It was a while before she finally woke, dreams and memories plaguing her once again, and she felt the echo of death within her mind while she had slept. It was a nightmare, heart stopping and starting, until she was able to pull herself from the abyss. She sincerely hoped this ordeal wouldn’t cause her trouble sleeping, as she’d finally been able to get used to the events that had happened when first coming to Andromeda. She didn’t need a new trauma to add to the list.

            “Emun?” She heard Shannon’s voice, and she opened her eyes to look beside her. “Are you alright?”

            “If I say yes are you going to yell at me?”

            “As much as I want to yell at you right now, no. I’ll save that for later. It feels really weird to be the one chastising and not the one who’s _being_ chastised. Since when did you become so reckless? Scratch that. You were always pretty fearless. Are you okay?”

            “I’m fine.”

            “No… I mean really okay? In here?” He pointed to his head. “I know what happened to da is still hitting you hard, but… He sacrificed himself for you so you could live, not so you could throw it away.”

            She scoffed, “You defending him is weird in itself.”

            “I know… It is… I’m just… I’m worried for you, Emun. I’m scared really. We’re in a whole new territory and I feel like I’ve missed out on a lot. I want to help you, but I don’t know if I can.”

            She blew out a sigh, placing her forearm over her eyes, trying to will away the soft headache that was thumping. “You being here and awake… It helps. Everything’s different, Shan… I just don’t know how to explain it.”

            He sighed himself, “Well… I guess take your time then…”

            They talked for a while until Lexi came to examine them both, deeming them fit to walk about the Tempest. Shannon decided to introduce himself to the crew, but Emun wanted to be alone for the moment, but if she was honest with herself, she wanted to see if the new email she’d received had been from Reyes, as it’d been a few days since he’d sent his last.

            There was one unread message sitting in her inbox, and it wasn’t from him. It was from Keema.

_Pathfinder, I hate to come to you with this, but I felt you needed to know. Hopefully you’ve heard from Reyes, but he’s gone missing. I haven’t heard from him, and it’s been a few days. I’m almost certain I know the reason. I don’t want to divulge too much through this message, but if you can head to Kadara as soon as possible, I will fill you in on what’s been going on. We found out something a week ago, the day you left, and it’s not good. I fear for what his absence might mean, but I also fear for my friend’s safety. Please, hurry._

_Keema._

            Emun stared at the screen. Something happened to him… She felt her heart sink at the thought. How could he not be careful after what he went through with Zia? She had to get there as soon as possible, appearances be damned. She didn’t want to risk losing him if she could help find him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled a little with this chapter, I was worried everything was happening too fast, and then doubting myself about how their relationship was coming across. I finished it last night, but I had to get my best friend to read it and tell me if I needed to change anything! She made me feel better about this chapter! Anyway, I hope the rest of you like it too! ^^

            The wait to get to Kadara was agonizing and Emun almost raced out the hangar as soon as they’d landed. She had to move fast, there was a chance that Reyes didn’t have the time for her to waste any longer, but Suvi was chasing after her, stopping her before she flew from her sight.

            “Ryder, I have something important to tell you before you leave!” Emun stopped and waited for the woman to continue. “It’s about when you… died… Back on the Archon’s ship. He was linked in the whole time, he saw what happened when SAM was resuscitating you.”

            Emun shook her head, “What does that mean?”

            “It means he saw all those flashes of memories in your head. He knows about—”

            “The implant and SAM… And…” She trailed off. That meant he knew about Shannon and that he had an implant too. “Shannon…” She glanced towards the direction of the med bay where he’d been resting once again, causing Lexi trouble with his grumbling. He wasn’t safe on board the Tempest with them. She’d have to force him back onto the Nexus when they went back. He was better off, and safer there.

            “I’m sorry, Ryder… I’m sorry that he saw your private moments.”  
            Her face fell a little. “Did… You see them too?” She watched the young woman blush, cheeks turning pink.

            “Um… Yes… We were patched in when it happened and… Heard some things…”

            “Shit…” Emun breathed, palm to her face as she wiped her hand down her cheek. “I dearly hope it wasn’t anything—”

            “Um, it was. So… you and Reyes? Those rumors are true?”

            “Have a nice day, Suvi, I’ll be back in a bit.” Emun said and quickly left the ship to head into the port. She had more important matters to attend to, and when she walked into Keema’s den the Angaran was at her feet at once.

            “Come with me, Pathfinder,” She ushered her to another room, one where they could chat privately. It was a small office, a desk with a few things scattered on top of it, and not much else to show for it.

            “What’s going on, Keema? Where’s Reyes?”

            “We don’t know, but we found out Kaetus escaped the day you left Kadara.”

            Emun clenched her fist, jaw tight; so that’s what he didn’t want her to know? That was something she would classify as a pretty big damn secret. “What do we know so far?”

            “Kaetus was being transported out of the port to another one of our buildings. Reyes went out on his own to investigate the shuttle crash. They all survived it, however our crew were dead by the time he got there with no signs of Kaetus.”

            “Why’d he go there alone?” She asked.

            “He didn’t want too many people to know in case we have rats within our group. It wouldn’t be farfetched. Turn our own tactics against us.” Emun must’ve looked angry because Keema reached out to touch her arm. “He didn’t want you to worry about him.”

            “Keema, he lied to me again!” She frowned. “He wasn’t supposed to keep something big like this from me again. He fucking… _Promised…_ ugh.” She shook her head. She shouldn’t have believed that he would tell her the truth on these matters. Did he not think she could handle it? That she was incapable of dealing with it? She took in a breath, shaky, she was mad but she was worried sick about what could’ve happened or what could be happening right now.

            “Ryder, I’m sorry, but Reyes always—”

            “Has a good reason? Sure.” She shook her head again. “What are those coordinates?”

            “I’ll send them to you. If I could track his shuttle, I would, but you know him. Maybe you can find a trail at the initial crash site. I’m certain he went there intending to follow any trail he could.”

            Emun nodded, bidding farewell to Keema as she made her way back out into the market. She spotted Shannon and immediately frowned. “What are you doing off the ship?”

            “In my defense, I feel fine.” He held his hands up. “I figured I’d come down and see why you like this place so much.” He grimaced as he looked around. “It’s… Not really your scene.”

            “I never said I liked this place.” She told him. “Come on, I’m taking you back to the ship.” She placed her hand between his shoulder blades, pushing him along similar in a way she used to do when they were teenagers and he’d run his mouth off to the wrong person.

            “Emun, please, stop treating me like a child. I can hold my own.” He protested, but began to move forward. “Besides, I need to make sure your boyfriend gets _my_ approval. Since da’s not around anymore…” He trailed off and Emun narrowed her eyes at him.

            “He’s not my boyfriend, and we’re not going to talk about this.”

            “Please, sis, you’ve never acted this way about a guy before. And from what your crew says—”

            “I don’t want to know what they say about this. It’s none of their business, nor is any of your business.”

            Shannon stopped and raised a brow. “This is my business. I’ve got to look out for our well-being now too. I realize I was full of shite back in the Milky Way; I got us into a lot of jams, but this is a new place. I don’t want to be a fuck up anymore.” He muttered the last part and she looked up at her taller brother a little sadly.

            “You were never a fuck up, Shan.”

            “You don’t have to lie, Em… You always lie when you talk about me. I always wished I could live up to the way you thought you saw me… The way da wanted me to be… I just couldn’t live up to his standards… I wasn’t as good as you.”

            “If you weren’t still sick I would hit you right now. We’re equals, Shannon, that’s all there is to it, and that’s the way I’ve always seen you. My equal, my brother, my best friend.” She almost choked up at the last part, swallowing the lump in her throat. “You were always good enough.”

            He shrugged, a sad smile spreading to his lips. “He never saw me that way… And you know it. He was always disappointed in me.”

            She knew their father was hard on them, more so on Shannon. “That’s not true.”

            He shook his head, “Thanks for trying to make me feel better, but we both know it is.”

            She wanted to make him believe that what he thought was false, but he was thickheaded, like she was, and she knew there was no telling him different. “I don’t care what you think, or what you think he thought, I missed you. And I’m glad you’re back.”

            He finally donned a happy smile, one she was used to seeing. “Thank you. I’m sorry I slept for so long.”

            “I shouldn’t have been surprised.” She smirked at him, nudging his shoulder as she walked past him. When he wasn’t following after her, SAM suddenly chimed privately in her head.

            _‘Ryder, be calm.’_ She turned back to look and despite SAM’s caution to be calm she had to quiet the panic that instantly flooded her. She was about to grab the gun at the back of her pants, but there was a Krogan that she recognized as one of Sloane’s body guards clutching Shannon by the shoulder with a knife at his throat. She should’ve been wary of the lack of people by the shuttles, and admittedly she had become relaxed in this part of the port, despite usually being on alert everywhere. She’d gotten used to the protection Reyes’s people offered, the safety that usually surrounded the Pathfinder moniker.

            “Let him go,” She growled, “I swear I’ll—”

            “Shut up, Ryder. Kaetus doesn’t want him. He wants to see you.”

            “Why? For all I know he’s already dead,” She felt her voice shake, trying to hold out hope he was still alive so she could beat his ass later for lying to her again.

            “He’s not. Maybe a little uglier than before, but that’s beside the point. I’ll let your brother go. Kaetus doesn’t care about him as long as you come with me.”

            “Don’t you dare agree to this—”

            “Shut up!” The Krogan knocked Shannon across the back of his head, causing her brother to let out a pained growl. She ran towards them, gun out, but stopped in her tracks when he held Shannon back up and put the knife back to him. “What did I say?”

            “Alright!” She shouted. “Let him go now!” She barked.

            “Put the damn gun down.”

            She tossed it aside, watching Shannon carefully. He was cringing, hurt, and it didn’t help when he was still as weak as he was. Had he not have been so feeble he would’ve been able to easily disarm the Krogan via his training. However, now, he looked on the verge of passing out.

            _‘Shannon will be alright.’_ SAM told her. _‘I do not know what we will do, but I can alert the Tempest giving them our position when we make it to where they’re holding Mr. Vidal. This may be our best chance at finding him.’_

            “Come over slowly.” The Krogan told her and she walked over holding her hands up. When he grabbed her, he let go of Shannon and pulled her over towards a shuttle amidst Shannon’s shouts.

            “No! Don’t do this!” He was about to run towards them and she shook her head.

            “I have to go, Shan. This is the only way. I can’t lose you… I can’t lose him either.” She told him and she saw him clench his jaw, turning and heading back towards the Tempest.

            “Get your ass on the shuttle.” He shoved her forward, finding a pair of metal cuffs to bind her hands behind back, then pushed her down to the floor as he got into the pilot’s seat, quickly taking off.

            Her mind began calculating all the different ways the idea in her head could possibly go wrong. She could hear the Krogan on the comms, probably talking to Kaetus, and she pulled her knees up to her chest as she wrenched her arms around her rear, pulling her arms in front of her. She was being as quiet as she could, but she quickly ran towards the pilot’s seat, grabbing on to the Krogan’s hood and wrenching him sideways.

            The shuttle lurched, and in doing so she lost her balance and fell back. This wasn’t a good idea, and she soon realized that when the last thing she saw was the Krogan’s fist barreling towards her face.

 

\---

 

            Reyes was in and out of consciousness, coming to every once in a while to angrily berate himself for getting caught up in this mess and getting ambushed. Kaetus had managed to get the jump on him, leading him into a trap that he should’ve expected, but he was arrogant, angry, and he let it all cloud his judgment.

            His heart sank as he heard Kaetus on the comms; they had Emun, and he felt sicker to his stomach as the conversation progressed.

            “We’ve got your girlfriend, Charlatan. I knew it was a matter of time till she was back on Kadara. Guess you really charmed the pants off this one. You really manage to make them weak don’t you?”

            He would’ve protested, but he could barely move, arms chained above his head. Kaetus had started him off in the cell, occasional beatings when he was angry enough, but today he strung him up by chains. It was to display him, he knew, to show that he was helpless and weak for when Emun got here. He hadn’t done anything to him that would be fatal, and he wondered what Kaetus’s end game was. Why did he want Emun? He was furious at the thought of him hurting her.

            “We’ll take good care of her, Charlatan, don’t you worry about that.” Kaetus told him, and he grunted.

            “You’re going to die, Kaetus. Slow and painfully.” He seethed.

            The Turian began to laugh, and Reyes knew it was useless to threaten him when he was chained up like this. His shoulders burned, he could barely feel his arms at this point, but it wouldn’t stop him from spitting fire when he could.

            “This is laughable, Vidal. I’ve bested you. You’re not as smart as you like to think you are, but I guess you’ve been shoved so far up the Pathfinder’s ass to really notice what’s been going on around you.”

            Reyes scoffed bitterly, spitting out the taste of blood in his mouth. “You’re one to talk, Kaetus.”

            He struck a chord with that one; the Turian angrily stormed off, leaving him dangling against the wall and in agony. Why did he want Emun? His quarrel was with him. He hoped her crew was watching out for her; he didn’t think Kaetus had any idea of SAM. He hoped the cavalry would be here soon for her sake.

            He heard the shuffle of his Krogan bodyguard entering the cave; he was yelling at someone and they finally came in to sight. Panic filled him, he had Emun, practically dragging her in as she stumbled beside him. He could see a stripe of blood down the side of her face, and he growled, trying to pull against the chains, but only succeeding in causing himself more pain.

            “Reyes,” She breathed when she saw him, and the Krogan tossed her in front of him as he went to converse with Kaetus. She got up, moving towards him, and he felt her hands reach up and touch his bruised face. Just her light, feathered touch quenched his soul more than the water he desperately craved could.

            “Baby, you shouldn’t have come back…” He croaked and her face was wrenched in sadness and anger.

            “I wasn’t going to leave you here. Even though you lied to me again.” She added, blunt as ever and he felt the twinge of guilt at keeping her in the dark.

            “I’m sorry, I didn’t want… _This_ to happen,” He shook his head despite the pain in his neck. He squeezed his eyes shut, but quickly opened them when he felt the loss of her all too fast. He saw Kaetus pulling her away until he’d thrown her back onto the ground. He pointed his gun his way, and he saw Emun flinch for just a moment, the deep swallow of her throat as the wheels were turning in her head, trying to figure out what she could do to get them out of this.

            “I hate to break up this little reunion, but we’re reaching the grand finale. I know you’re a fan of the dramatic, Vidal.” He felt Kaetus’s fist connect to his gut, feeling the rush of air leave his lungs.

            “Hit him again,” he heard Emun growl, “and see what happens.”

            The Krogan’s laughter rang out around them and Kaetus turned to look at her. “You’re not in any position to make threats, Ryder.” Kaetus began to circle her and Reyes burned at the sight of him trying to assert his dominance over the situation, over her. “This is what’s going to happen. You don’t have to worry your pretty little head about the Charlatan over there. It’s sad and too bad for you that he cares about you. It’s pretty obvious the fool’s in love with you, and that works out for my advantage in this situation.”

            Reyes frowned, anger coursing through him. He knew how he felt about her, but he didn’t want her knowing just yet without being able to properly tell her, without scaring her away.

            “So he wanted to be the Charlatan so bad, the leader of Kadara. The _King_. Well, he can have what he wants, but it’ll be at a cost. I’m going to do to him what he did to me. I’m going to take away the person he loves. Too bad that had to be you, Ryder.”

            Reyes was panicking. No! He couldn’t do this! “She had nothing to do with what happened to Sloane!” He managed to say despite the rasp that tinged his voice. “Leave her out of this, Kaetus!”

            “She could’ve saved her!” Kaetus suddenly shouted and he turned to look at Emun kicking her in the stomach. Reyes was feral, red clouded his vision as he struggled against his bindings and he shouted in pain at the movement.

            “Stop it!” He yelled, watching in agony as he hit her again and he heard a grunt from her when Kaetus stopped.

            “Why should I have saved her?” Emun wheezed. What the hell was she thinking? “The woman,” she coughed as she struggled to get to her knees, cuffs rattling against the rocky ground. “The woman was a disease. She gave you false hope and threw those that trusted in her out like garbage.”

            “She had her reasons!” Kaetus shouted.

            “She addicted people to drugs, she was going to bring war to Heleus, is that what you wanted?”

            “I don’t care, I loved her!” He could see a look of shock and realization dawn on Emun’s face, and he thought he almost saw sympathy in her eyes. “You’re done now. Say your goodbyes to him. When this is over he’ll have to live with the fact that what he wanted so badly led to your death.”

            “This is hardly a fair fight,” Emun said.

            Kaetus bitterly scoffed, “You want to talk about fair? She didn’t get fair! I know what happened to her, his sniper bragged in my face about how he shot her in the back!”

            “She didn’t do it,” Reyes said, “She didn’t do it!” He shouted desperately.

            “She could’ve saved her!”

            “Where’s your honor?” Emun shouted back. “I respected you Kaetus. I helped you. I deserve a fair fight.”

            “You deserve nothing.” Kaetus said to her.

            “You son of a bitch!” Reyes yelled, “Sloane was stupid! It was pathetic!” He tried to avert the Turian’s attention. “It was so easy to lure her there. Easy to get her to agree to the duel. She was stupid, Kaetus, a fucking idiot!”

            “Who the fuck do you think you are?!” He turned on him, pointing his gun at him and he watched as Emun lunged toward the Turian, smashing into him as a gunshot rang out. Reyes felt like his heart was ripped in two until he realized the shot had mistakenly hit the Krogan who fell to the ground. She was safe… for the moment.

            She wrestled with Kaetus, managing to wrench the gun out of his hands, but he hit her and it clattered back behind her. She was quick to recover; the adrenaline was coursing through her and despite her cuffs he watched her go toe to toe with Kaetus. The Turian was angry, making mistakes, and Emun was doing her best to use her own fighting skills against him. She was fast, able to dodge a hit here and there, but Kaetus had reach and skill of his own.

            It was agonizing watching this, not being able to help, and he struggled again when Kaetus punched her, knocking her back once more. He was about to go for the gun when she swept his feet out from underneath him, getting up and stumbling her way to dive on top of the Turian. She managed to reach her arms around his neck, pulling tightly as he struggled to get her off of him, but her strength won out fast and he watched Kaetus go limp and the panic began to ease in him for the moment.

            “Emun,” he called to her, watching her breathing heavily as she finally dragged herself from Kaetus. “Are you okay? Talk to me, please.”

            “I’m fine…” She panted, stubborn as ever as she shakily stood and grabbed the gun. She knelt down next to Kaetus, fishing in a compartment to his armor for something and he frowned when she didn’t unload the clip into the bastard. She had a key in her hand, and she tried to use it on her cuffs but saw it didn’t work. She moved towards the Krogan, finding the key on him to free herself and she finally shuffled her way towards him.

            She reached up, doubling over in pain until she did it again and reached the lock on his cuff for one hand. He grunted tumbling to the ground and bringing her with him when the chain slid through the loop that was holding him up. They both laid there for a moment, breathing hard, hurting, but he was so relieved that she was okay.

            She finally moved, and he wanted so badly to caress her battered face, kiss her bruised lips, but he couldn’t move his arms, much less the rest of his body. She undid the cuff on his other hand, he felt her fingers delicately smooth its way into his palm.

            “I’m sorry,” she whispered, and he looked up at her face as she moved him to where his head was resting on her lap.

            He chuckled, groaning. “This is not your fault. I was stupid and arrogant when I came out to look for him. I should’ve known better…”

            He heard Kaetus beginning to move and he watched Emun clutch the gun and point it towards the Turian. When he got his bearings he stared back at them.

            “Leave, Kaetus.” She told him and Reyes looked up at her incredulously.

            “What are you doing? Kill him!”

            “Why are you letting me go?” Kaetus rasped.

            “Just get out of my sight. Leave Kadara. I will hunt you down if I hear someone whisper your name.”

            “You didn’t give me an answer.” Kaetus said and Reyes tried to reach for her gun, but she pushed his hand away.

            “Emun, shoot him!” He pressed, but she slid away from him.

            “Stop staring at me. And go.” She told Kaetus again. “You can wonder why during the second chance I’ve given you.” Kaetus stared at her for a beat more before he began to limp his way out of the cave.

            “Emun, why—” Reyes tried to ask, but she tossed the gun away and gave him a look that said she wasn’t going to discuss this. “He tried to kill us.”

            “I don’t want to talk about it.” She told him, and he laid back against the ground. He didn’t understand, but it pissed him off. He didn’t think he could be angry with her, but he found that he was, and it turned his stomach that he was furious about this.

            He lost consciousness a few times after her crew had gotten there and helped him out to the Nomad. When he came to he found himself waking up in the comfort of his small bed in his room in the Collective base. He felt better, wondering how long he’d been out for, and figured it was long enough for the medigel to heal most of his wounds. He lifted the blanket finding himself shirtless, cuts nearly nonexistent, bruises faded, and cracked ribs not as bad as he thought they’d be. He was lucky it wasn’t worse, but when he remembered the events he still felt the sting of Kaetus still being alive.

            He wanted to see her, demand an explanation, but then he didn’t want to, didn’t want to say the wrong things, make her angrier with him than he knew she already was. He didn’t like this situation, but he wanted to understand her reasoning despite knowing he wouldn’t agree with it.

            It was like she was listening to his thoughts, a knock on his door sounded and she was standing there. She was bruised, a bandage at her forehead, but she looked good; she took his breath away every time, but he was sticking to his guns this time despite wanting to wrap her up in his arms.

            “We should talk.” She said.

            “Yes. We should.” He said, getting up from the bed and taking a moment to slowly stand.

            “Why did you lie to me? Don’t give me a shite answer for it.”

            His brows furrowed. “We’re already getting into this? Not even a good to see you’re alive?”

            “You can quit being dramatic,” She bit back, but he saw her wanting to be pissed just as much as he was trying to stay angry. They had questions that they needed to get past first, and they were in unfamiliar territory as they had no cause to be angry with each other before. “You told you me wouldn’t lie about the big stuff.”

            “I didn’t lie to you.” He tried to play it off.

            “But you kept it from me. Don’t you think I should’ve known about this?”

            “What were you going to do, Emun? You were leaving on your mission!” Leaving him, again and again. He wanted her to be here all the time despite knowing that it was an impossible wish to hope for.

            “I would’ve stayed to help.”

            “Don’t lie to me,” He shook his head. “You know your missions are more important.”

            “You don’t have to say it like…”

            “Like what? Like you’d choose your job over me? You would. It’s who you are.”

            The furrow in her brows deepened. “So you didn’t think I deserved the decency of being told then?”

            “Now look who’s being dramatic,” He said and he watched as her arms crossed over her chest. “Why didn’t you kill Kaetus?” He moved closer to her. “The bastard is probably planning his next move! It was irresponsible.”

            “Irresponsible? Don’t speak to me like I’m some child who should know better. Maybe you should’ve killed him instead of torturing him for more useless information.” She shot back.

            He was frustrated, she was giving it back just as much as he was giving it and he was so flustered he just wanted to close the gap between them and kiss her senseless. It’d be easier than what this was, but he didn’t want to let her win right now. “I was handling my business fine. It’s how I’ve run things before you even came here. You didn’t answer my question, why didn’t you kill Kaetus?”

            “I’m not doing this,” She told him, and he tugged on her shirt to bring her back towards him.

            “We’re still discussing this, Emun! I’m not letting you run away again until we’ve fixed this.”

            She pulled her arm away from him, brow still furrowed in anger. “I’m leaving.” She was breathing harder, and when he moved closer to pull her back once more he found her lips against his in a rush, and he couldn’t help kissing her back just as hard as she had kissed him. The tension had reached the breaking point, that’s why she was trying to leave, but now he definitely wasn’t going to let her go after she started this. Issues be damned, he’d wanted her back in his arms the moment he got out of her bed, and he’d be damned if he’d let a squabble get in between them.

            He pressed her back against the door, and felt the rush of air leave her lungs, his hips pressing against hers. He gasped, taking her mouth again, touching his tongue to hers and tasting the sweet mint inside. Her hand was pressed to the back of his neck to pull him closer than he already was, her other hand wedging between them till she was cupping his hardened length through his sweats.

            He nearly growled at the heat between them, grabbing her hand and pinning her wrist against the door until she wriggled it free and raked her fingers down his chest. He groaned again, head dipping low for a moment before he pressed his mouth back to hers. She knew the effect she had on him, he was certain of this, and despite her trepidation when it came to intimacy she was just as heated as he was. Maybe it was him, maybe it was the way they were when they came together, but it was like a storm. They were the calm before it, and now he was finding out what it was like when they were deep inside the heat.

            She was quiet this time around, and he was the one who couldn’t control his noise, a groan here, a growl there, and he was tugging her pants down her hips. They were in a frenzy, he didn’t know about her, but he was worried that at any moment a knock would sound behind the very door they were still wedged against. She pushed his sweats down his hips, freeing him, and she wrapped her leg around his waist as he quickly slid home. He shuddered at the feel of her warmth wrapped tightly around him and he had to take a moment before he arched his hips back and thrust back into her.

            He got what he was after, a sharp moan from her and he watched the blissful look on her face as she squeezed her eyes shut. The back and forth drove him wild, the feel of her hips as she met his push and pull. He couldn’t get over the way she felt around him. Each slick slide was bringing him closer to the brink but he couldn’t help it.

            It was too much, too fast, and though he wanted to slow it down, craved to have each moment be like the first, he knew they were too fired up to slow this down at all. There was no controlling either of their motions. He threaded his fingers into her hair, feeling how close he already was, and by the jutting of her hips he knew she was right there with him.

            “Look at me,” he groaned, gripping her hair just a little tighter and she opened those steeled brown hues to stare into his own. Her mouth was open until she clamped her jaw shut, and he thrust into her harder as she bucked her hips against his. He gripped her thigh, holding her leg up as he felt himself at his breaking point and she let out a cry, her inner walls clamping tightly around him. He faltered, grinding his hips into hers and gasping into her neck as he shattered, seeing stars behind his shut eyes, spending himself deep inside her heat.

            They were out of breath, both of them gasping for air as if there was none left. He found her lips again, wanting to kiss the waning bits of pleasure from her before they crashed back to reality about the issues they were dealing with.

            He didn’t want to talk about them, especially not after this, but it was something they needed to work through, and something he needed to understand. He finally moved from her, pulling his sweats back up as he slid down the door beside her, out of breath, and she sat down next him.

            He ran his hand up her bare thigh, caught her watching his hand, and for a minute she let him continue to caress her in this intimate manner until she pushed it aside. She grabbed her pants and underwear, clothing herself fully and he watched despite the inevitability of their argument about to crash them back to reality.

            “I’m sorry,” he decided to say and he watched her bite her lower lip. “I know I should’ve told you, but I didn’t want you to worry.”

            She raised a brow, “And this worked out much better?”

            “Well, maybe not that, but _this_.” He suggestively said, smirking up at her and he saw the small flustered smile that spread on her lips. She turned away from him and he chuckled sadly. What a mess they were. Arguing about trivial things when they should just be happy that the other was alive.

            She finally turned back towards him and looked uneasy. “I didn’t kill Kaetus because I felt… pity for him.”

            “But, Emun—”

            “I know… I just… I don’t like getting ordered to kill people anymore. That was the entirety of my Alliance career. Take the shot. This is your target.” He swallowed hard at her admission. And he had tried to do just that. Order her to kill someone when they were helpless despite the fact that it was Kaetus they were talking about. “I’m tired of being the Reaper.”

            “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean… I don’t want you to feel like that.” He stood, making his way towards her slowly. She was so regal the way she stood up straight, tall, nearly his height and he loved that she didn’t back down from him. “You don’t have to run away from me…” He said and she turned away from him, pursing her lips. “You could’ve said that before.”

            “We were busy being pissed off, I didn’t think you’d listen.”

            “Bullshit,” he chuckled, “You just don’t like to discuss your feelings.”

            She shrugged, “I told you I’m not good at this. I barely know what…”

            “Barely know what?” He placed his hands at her elbows, turning her to face him, then ran his hand up to her jaw.

            “I barely know what I’m feeling…” She muttered low.

            He smiled, “Neither do I,” he lied, he knew exactly what he was feeling, but he didn’t want her to run away from him again. He was able to handle her leaving after the incident with Sloane, he knew he’d fucked up, but he was terrified of being rejected, terrified of telling someone for the first time that he loved them. It’d barely been that long, but Emun made him feel like he was someone. That he was important. He wanted to be important to her, special, and he didn’t want to miss the chance of being loved by someone he held in such high regard. If she didn’t love him, he wanted to work his way towards that.

            “I have to tell you something… While we were on board the Archon’s ship… I died.”

            He raised his brows, “What? What the hell happened?”

            “We were trapped in an immobilizing field… SAM had to stop my heart to get us out.” His brows dipped low and he was beginning to question if the AI was helping her or if it was simply a danger. “I told SAM to do it.” She must’ve seen his simmering anger over that revelation. “It was our only way out.” She made it sound so cut and dry and he shook his head at her detachment over this situation.

            “That doesn’t make me feel good about the AI in your head being able to stop your heart.”

            He watched her as her eyes looked up a moment, SAM must’ve been talking to her privately. It was the look she usually got when that happened.

            “I die he dies.” She said simply.

            He let out a sigh. “That doesn’t make me feel any better. Please… just try not to do that again.” He placed his hand to her cheek, sliding his thumb underneath her eye and over the puckered flesh of her scar. “Are you ever going to tell me how this happened?”

            “Not likely.”

            He smirked, “So it’s embarrassing? Maybe I’ll have to ask your brother.”

            “You are not meeting my brother.”

            He began to laugh. “Why not?”

            “Because he’s doing the overprotective brother thing. He’s never done that before, and he’s going to be way worse if he knows who you are.”

            “Oh, come one, Emun, I am the _perfect_ gentleman.”

            She let out a snort and rolled her eyes. “Hardly.”

            “Admit it, you like my version of it.” He kissed her softly, and felt her smile against his lips. He hugged her close to him, clutching her tightly and breathing in the clean scent of her. “I’m glad you’re okay.” Was all he could manage to say. He didn’t know what other words he could use, but he tried to offer up more. “I’m sorry I didn’t say that before.”

            She huffed softly, but he felt her arms wrapped just as tight above his shoulders. “I’m glad you’re okay too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly had no good reason as to why Emun let Kaetus live other than the fact that I actually liked Kaetus and I felt sorry for him. I know I'm not the only one who got the vibe that Kaetus and Sloane were at the very least lovers, but it was obvious that Kaetus really did care for Sloane when Ryder talks to him in the jail cell. Or I'm just reading far too much into it and he was just really pissed that his status and power were also gone xD Either way, I did enjoy Kaetus's character, so I didn't want him to die lol Which ended up giving me the excuse to write some pissy, heated smut action xD *Runs away*


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long for this chapter! Works been really rough, and my back is acting up again, but that gives me the excuse to lie in bed and write, right? Hope you guys like it! Thank you to everyone still reading! It fuels my fire ^^

            They decided to spend a little extra time on Kadara, much to some of the crew’s disappointment. Lexi, however, had managed to convince them that Emun needed some extra rest and since Kadara had supplies they could benefit from, and an outpost that could use some help, the crew relented and decided not to complain as much. Emun knew what her Asari friend was trying to pull, trying to allow her more time to see Reyes, and while she appreciated it, she did feel like it was growing obvious.

            It didn’t come without complications though, as her squad had called a meeting so they could discuss what happened on the Archon’s ship. Emun wasn’t too thrilled, she didn’t exactly want to go through that memory again, but she understood the value of listening to what they had to say.

            “Look, Ryder,” Cora began, “We all know what happened on board the Archon’s ship. Liam and Drack told us, and we kind of got a front row seat to it when it happened.”

            Emun shifted a little, trying not to look uncomfortable. According to Suvi they’d seen and or heard some of her memories, just like the Archon had. She didn’t exactly remember all the memories that had flooded into her mind, but she had a good idea of a few.

            “Emmy, we understand you’re pretty fearless, and though it may seem pretty badass to die and come back, you’re kind of making it a habit, and it’s not something we’re okay with.” Liam crossed his arms.

            “SAM?” Emun called; she didn’t want to have to explain this to them.

            “No, wait. We’re not letting you have SAM give us an explanation.” Vetra interrupted.

            “Yeah, he can tell us the scientific facts all you want, Ryder, but the fact still remains. You’re reckless, and it’s got us all worried.” Peebee added.

            Jaal stepped up as well. “We are only concerned for your well-being. We care about you, and we don’t want to see you flinging yourself into dangerous situations like this.”

            “It was the only way out of that situation.” Emun offered up.

            “Are you sure?” Drack asked. “We seemed to jump to that being the only way out pretty fast there.”

            “We went over it. I asked if it was the only way.”

            “Don’t bullshit us, kid. We know what really happened we were there. You were quick to agree with it.”

            “And then we discussed it.” She argued back, calm and collected. She heard a few sighs and finally frowned at them all. “We had no other choice. Do you all really think I enjoy dying? I’d rather not. I felt like utter shite after that happened.”

            “Which brings us to those memories of yours.” Cora started. “Is there something you need to tell us?”

            “No.” She said quickly.

            “Please,” Peebee began to laugh. “She really thinks we didn’t know all this time.”

            Vetra chuckled, “You two were never that subtle, Ry.” Emun groaned, shaking her head and placing her hand to her forehead. “We all knew he had a thing for you, but you reciprocating has been interesting to say the least. You’ve opened up a little more, you smile. It’s cute. We like to see that.”

            “Why does everyone suddenly find me so ‘cute?’” She blanched at that word.

            “I dunno, maybe because you come across so stuffy all the time it’s nice to see you not so calm and collected.” Liam shrugged.

            “We may not all approve of this… Whatever this is, but we’ve all decided it’s your business. We know you’re not the type to get involved with someone without careful consideration. It took you a while to warm up to all of us too.” Cora said.

            “Thank you, to all of you, for collectively deciding that it’s none of your business. I appreciate it.” She said dryly and the group began to laugh.

            “You cannot blame us for being worried about you. We all know Kadara is an awfully dreadful place, and their residents are not all… Reputable. We only want to make sure you can really trust him.” Jaal said.

            She took in a breath, shaking her head again. “I… I do.” She shrugged helplessly.

            “Well, I guess we’ll just have to quietly tease you from the shadows now.” Peebee said sadly. “Although he had some very interesting messages—”

            “Peebee,” Emun warned.

            “Sorry! I couldn’t help it!”

            “I’m putting tighter restrictions on my messaging account. Just so you’re all aware.” Emun narrowed her eyes at the squad.

            “And just so that _you’re_ aware. He breaks your heart and I’m going to break a lot more than just his bones, kid.” Drack added.

            “You’ve already made that threat, old man, would you like to do better?” She smarted off and Drack began to chuckle.

            “I can think of a lot of unpleasant things to do if he wrongs you. I don’t think you want to hear them when you’re in good standing with him.”

            “You can let him know we’re keeping an eye on him.” Cora said. “Someone has to anyway.”

            “I’ve got my contacts who can keep a look out for any funny business.” Vetra added.

            “Please, stop.” She groaned, but she couldn’t help but smile softly. She really had obtained a small little family. “Wait, where’s Shannon? I’m a little shocked he wasn’t at this meeting.”

            “I dunno, last I saw he was in the med bay with Lexi.” Liam said.

            When Peebee began to deviously laugh they all turned their attention towards her. “He may or may not have gone into the Port. Or perhaps down to the slums.”

            “What do you mean, Peebee?” Emun asked.

            “He kind of sort of asked where Reyes liked to hang out at, and I may have… accidentally told him?” She slowly shrugged and Emun felt her lips part slightly.

            “This can’t be happening.”

 

~~~

 

            “Do the settlers have enough supplies?” Reyes paced around his room, trying to get back to the business he’d been neglecting. It hadn’t been by his choice, getting embarrassingly kidnapped put a damper on his plans, and trying to let his aching body fully heal wasn’t easy as well. “Good, good.” He responded, “Make sure the Pathfinder’s crew are included the next time they’re down there. I want to make sure they—” He paused when his door opened, and normally the only person who was able to hack his door open was the one that set his heart racing, but this time, it wasn’t.

            He knew exactly who it was as soon as he looked upon his face, brow furrowed and a similar looking scar underneath the opposite eye. It seemed as though hacking was in both the Ryder’s blood. This was definitely Shannon, and he was inwardly about to die laughing. Emun would be mortified, there was no way she would’ve set this up.

            “Something’s come up, we’ll continue this later.” He signed off of his comm and gestured for Shannon to step into the room. He took one step to let the door shut and continued to stare him down. “It’s nice to finally meet you, I’m—”

            “Yeah, I know who you are,” Shannon said quickly, crossing his arms. “I’ve talked to Emun’s crew, so yeah. I know that you’re Reyes Vidal and you’ve also got that hidden agenda going.”

            Reyes kept his cool, knowing that she was all Shannon had left. He was going to be defensive, he was going to be an ass, but that was only because he cared about his sister. “I don’t have a hidden agenda.”

            “Save it,” he said coolly. “I know what happened, and I know you used my sister to further this Charlatan game of yours.”

            Reyes was taken aback by that. “I’m not using Emun for anything.”

            “I know guys like you. You want to fuck the ‘ice queen’ and brag about it to your buddies, because she’s some sort of impossible mission to conquer.”

            Reyes shook his head, “You couldn’t be further from the truth of that, my friend.”

            “No, no! None of this ‘my friend’ shit. You’re not as smooth as you’d like to think, Vidal.”

            “I love your sister.” He blurted and Shannon stood, amber brown eyes filled with shock. “I don’t know how… It just… It happened. I love her.”

            “You’re lying.”

            “I’m not. She takes my breath away, Shannon. I worry about her constantly, and despite wanting to keep her here, to keep her safe, I know I can’t. Her work is more important to her than anything. As much as it stings, I understand it. She’s still hurting, but she’s hiding it well… There’s so much I want to give her, and I don’t know if I can, but I want to. I want to try so hard to be someone in her eyes. I’m not a good man, and I’m not good for her… but she makes me better.”

            He watched Shannon’s face soften and he looked conflicted a moment. “Have you told her that?”

            Reyes shook his head. “I want to… But I don’t want her to run away.”

            Shannon scoffed, “She does have a habit of that…”

            “I found that out quickly, though I deserved it. I know I lied to her. I regretted that decision. I still do, because I lost her, and I could barely stand it. I have no idea what we’re doing, but I know I want to be with her. I hope you’ll understand that.”

            He watched her brother cross his arms, grumbling low. “I mean… She’s never acted this way about someone before…” He shrugged, “You better not hurt her or I’ll—”

            “Trust me, I know. You might need to get in line, I’ve been threatened by everyone that cares about her.”

            The door opened and this time it was Emun. “Shannon, what the hell are you doing?!” She stormed towards her brother, grabbing his arm.

            “I asked him to come down here.” Reyes lied and Shannon shook his head.

            “Don’t get yourself in trouble with her,” Shannon groaned, rolling his eyes. “I came down here to size him up since you refused to properly introduce us.”

            “Because I knew what you were going to do, and I didn’t want to be around to see that. Who I choose to be with isn’t any of your business, Shan!”

            “Yes, it is my business! Especially if it’s the shady bastard I keep hearing about!” Shannon turned his attention back his way. “People don’t say the best things about you.”

            Reyes chuckled, and then nearly snorted when he watched her punch her brother. “Have you been asking around about him!?” She said incredulously.

            “No! Not everywhere… Drack took me to Kralla’s Song while you were down in his base or whatever. Umi said some things.”

            “In my defense—” Reyes began, but he saw Emun slide a narrowed gaze his way.

            “You don’t pay your bar tabs of course Umi is going to talk shit about you.”

            He nodded his head back and forth. “Point taken.”

            “All I’m saying is; I have a right to be concerned. He’s practically a space pirate, Em, and then I hear that he’s the mastermind behind all this other stuff?”

            Reyes looked at Emun and shrugged. “He does have a point.”

            “Don’t you dare start encouraging his overprotective bullshit!” She pointed his way and he saw a smirk develop on Shannon’s face.

            “I need a drink,” Emun said once she saw the look Shannon held. “You’re going back to the ship. Now.” Emun ordered her brother, and he couldn’t help smiling at the two of them.

            Shannon pointed back his way. “This isn’t over, Vidal.”

            “I imagine it isn’t.” He chuckled lightly, but before Emun could slip out the door behind her brother he quickly grabbed her, pulling her back towards him as the door shut. He gave her a searing kiss, feeling her relax against him, and though this short moment of freedom wouldn’t last, he wanted to savor the taste of her lips for the moment. Sure enough, she pulled away, coming to her senses.

            “I need to go.” She said, breathless, and he savored the dazed look on her face. “What exactly did he say?”

            “Oh you know,” he hummed, “typical big brother threats. Don’t worry, I think he’s warming up to me already.”

            “Uh huh.”

            “Stay a little while,” He ran his hand into her hair and he watched her sigh. “You don’t have to leave so soon.”

            “I can’t. I promised I’d head over to the outpost in a bit.” She said.

            “I have an errand to run there later. I could take you there?” He tried to convince her. “We’d be in my shuttle, alone. We could land it a touch away from the outpost?” He smirked and he watched her trying to hide her smile.

            “We’ll see…” She leaned in close to his ear, whispering low, “Or you could sneak on board the Tempest later.”

            He chuckled, letting out a groan when he heard a bang on his door. “You should probably get going.”

            She let out a sigh giving him a quick kiss before she untangled herself from his embrace. He let his hand slide down to hers, slowly letting their fingers slip away from each other.

            “Thanks for stopping by,” he said, and she gave him a little smile that melted his heart even further. What he wanted to say was ‘I love you’ but he lacked the courage to reveal that to her just yet. Instead he watched her leave, and hoped she’d get back to him later. He could use a distraction, and she was always the best kind.

 

\---

            It was back to the Nexus and Emun was admittedly growing tired of the routine. It was hard not to want to rush back to Kadara, but she was running out of legitimate excuses and didn’t want to seem too clingy in the eyes of her crew. As much as she wanted to blow off her responsibilities she had work that needed to be done, and finding Meridian was the priority after settling the worlds with vaults into a comfortable environment.

            SAM had told her he had unlocked more memories for her to see, and it was always a nervous experience. She didn’t know what her father had wanted her to see, and it made her anxious each time at what they could be. So far it was little things; when he’d found out about Ellen’s disease, and then getting the sponsorship needed for the Initiative getting started.

            Then in her time on the Nexus she’d found out Jien Garson was murdered and it didn’t exactly sit well with her; she didn’t know whom she should tell regarding that either. She talked to Shannon about it, but that was it, and they’d both agreed that it wasn’t a good idea to speak about it with anyone else.

            They made it back to the Hyperion heading to SAM node, and Emun wanted Shannon along for this memory. She had a bad feeling about it and she wanted to see if SAM could patch him in on this one too.

            “You know… Not that I’m advocating this relationship of yours with the Shady Bastard, but… You seem to miss him. And we haven’t been back to Kadara in a while. Maybe we should head there.”

            She raised a brow at her brother. “It’s fine.” She lied, though she was missing him something fierce. It wasn’t enough to email, to sneak quiet vid chats in the very late evening hours. It was nice, and it helped, but she wanted to be back in his arms, to smell him, taste him, but she dreaded hearing the crew’s reactions to heading back to Kadara. Plus, they had so many other things demanding their attention it was difficult to make time for it anyway.

            “Don’t lie. I know you’ve been sneaking up to the vid chat late at night to talk to him.” When her eyes got a little wider he waved his arms, “Wait no. God, no I’m not _listening_!” He grimaced.

            “You better fucking not be!” She swatted his arm. It was good to have him around, but despite it being a while, he still wasn’t himself. He was still tired, and still weak, barely able to do the light fitness routine that he’d cleared with Lexi and Harry. But having him to talk to was helping immensely. Shannon was her rock, and without him she had felt lost for a time, a piece of her had felt missing.

            “Jeez no. I just meant that I know you’ve snuck up there. Can’t say the same for any other eavesdroppers though. You know they all like to talk about you two.”

            She rolled her eyes. “I hate it…”

            “Don’t worry about it. You used to not care what people thought of what you did.”

            “I don’t… But this is different.”

            “Because you finally like someone for longer than two minutes?”

            She rolled her eyes, “You’re one to talk.”

            He shrugged, “Well, when no one seems interesting. Or interested in me past half an hour. If you haven’t noticed, sis, I’ve got a lot of issues.”

            “We could talk about it.” She suggested as they stopped in front of SAM’s door.

            He shook his head, “Nah… I mean it’s nothing we haven’t already talked about.” He scratched the back of his head. “It’s something I’ve got to deal with on my own. I don’t want you to have to worry about fixing all my problems. That’s what being a grown up is for, yeah? Gotta fix your own problems.”

            “You don’t have to do it alone.” She opened the door and he followed after her.

            “True. But you’ve got enough people asking you for shit.”

            “You’re my brother. That’s different.”

            _“Hello, Ryders.”_ SAM’s voice filtered throughout the room. _“Are you ready to see your father’s most recent memory trigger?”_

            “Are you able to patch Shan in on this?” Emun asked.

            _“Yes, since Shannon also has an implant of his own there will be no issues in having him witness this one alongside you.”_

            “You looked spooked, Emun.” Shannon said. “What’s up? Are they really that bad?”

            “No, it’s just… I don’t have a good feeling.”

            “It can’t be that bad.”

            She shook herself, gearing up to see the memory and let SAM do his work. _“This memory… Is from Ellen’s final day.”_ She knew it. It was tough to see. Her mother was so weak, so frail and sick. It was hard for her to speak, but she was ready to die, had already accepted her fate long ago.

            They said goodbye, she remembered this day, and it was tough to swallow it all over again especially seeing it from their father’s eyes. She felt the sorrow, the shake in his hand as he reached for Ellen’s. There was so much pain and she realized just how much her father loved their mother. It was bittersweet, and it stung a little to see he’d never love them as much as he loved her.

            Her mother’s words had been slow as she told them to fall in love at least once, looking upon their father with such love and adoration. Then they left them along and she wanted to hear him say goodbye, but he couldn’t manage it. He said one of his phrases he used to say, one they’d always been tired of hearing as kids. _When your back’s against the wall. If you can’t run from it. Use it._ He could only tell her he loved her after that, how much stronger she was than he.

            Coming out of the memory she felt instantly drained, and more upset than she should’ve been. She glanced at Shannon who looked much the same, stunned silence, and he looked like he’d found it hard to grasp. She had to go. She turned to leave, Shannon didn’t stop her, and she kept walking till she found herself wandering aimlessly around the Nexus, ignoring random people calling for her attention.

            She found herself in the bar, getting a bottle and beginning to drink by herself. SAM tried to speak with her, but she actively ignored the AI. His presence wasn’t needed at this moment. She needed something else, _someone_ else. She wasn’t about to commandeer the Tempest, so she wandered on out into the port, slightly tipsy and made her way into the docking bay.

            She looked around at all the ships and shuttles that were finally getting used. It was nice to see things working. She moseyed on up to a transport ship and began to eavesdrop, hearing that this one was heading to Kadara and it’d be leaving soon. It wasn’t hard to slip on board the ship unnoticed, and she warned SAM about what she’d do if he told anyone what she was doing. She found a spot to hide, not wanting to be found, and eventually felt the ship taking off.

            She pulled the bottle from her jacket and began to finish the rest of it. Eventually she fell asleep, and eventually they’d made it to the outpost on Kadara where she slipped out and found her way into the bustling little settlement, meandering around and hoping no one would notice her.

            She was at Tartarus now, easing her way in to talk to Kian who was surprised to see her here. “Pathfinder, I didn’t hear anything about the Tempest landing.” He commented, pouring her a drink.

            “It didn’t,” She said simply.

            “I didn’t think so, considering Reyes would’ve been here waiting otherwise.”

            She grumbled lightly, “He waits for me here? Am I that predictable?”

            Kian chuckled, “maybe so. But then again, he can be pretty predictable himself.”

            She scoffed, “Hardly.”

            “Well, when it comes to you.” Kian grinned. She was beginning to realize she didn’t know a thing about his past. Well, she’d always realized that, but she didn’t care as much before as she did now. Before she was afraid to let herself believe that she had feelings for the man, now… Well, now she just wanted to know everything about his past since she knew what he was like in the present. It didn’t matter, she was only curious, but she didn’t want to pry if it was something he wasn’t comfortable talking about. She swilled the liquid in her glass before she finished it, settling it back onto the counter.

            “Something wrong, love?” Kian asked and she shook her head.

            “Nothing? Everything.”

            “I’m not sure I can help you with nothing, but usually more drinks help with everything, at least for the moment.” She huffed, then softly smiled.

            “Doesn’t he have a flat around here?” She asked.

            “Oh, yes. He does. You… haven’t been there yet?” She narrowed her gaze at him and he shrugged. “I just assumed he’d taken you to it already. Well, it’s a little place nestled behind this building. It basically looks like an extension of this place, so no one bothers with messing with it.”

            “Take me to it.”

            “What? Why?” When she didn’t give an answer he shrugged and sighed. “Well, he did say to give you whatever you asked for.”

            He motioned for her to follow her to the door so she could go behind the counter where he led her to a back room and eventually a hallway that took them out to the back of the building. He led her around the corner, it was dark and he pointed down that way.

            “It’s back there. I trust you know how to get in?”

            She raised a brow at him. “I can manage.”

            “Alright, love, just don’t break anything. He’ll blame me for it before he blames you.”

            “Not to worry.” She made her way down the darkened path and eventually came to a door. She easily hacked it open, slipping inside to relock it. The lights illuminated and SAM chimed in that she was being scanned by a security device that was armed. However, once it confirmed her identity it locked into safe mode. She smiled to herself, he hadn’t even asked her to come here, yet he’d made sure that his place had her on its safe list.

            His place was clean and tidy; it didn’t look as though he was in here that often. It was a basic flat, a small sitting area with a coffee table, and a decent enough sized kitchen area. There was a room in the back and she stepped inside. Normally she wouldn’t feel right about invading his private space, but she wasn’t going to snoop, she wasn’t the type. She was only here so she could take advantage of his shower. She went into the bathroom setting the pack she’d taken from the outpost down on the floor and pulled out the extra set of clothes she’d grabbed from there.

            She took a shower, washing away some of the dirt and grime and inhaling the scent of his soap. It smelled good, better than good, it smelled like him and she was relishing in the fact that she could smell him on her now. When she was done she dressed in the undergarments, a simple pair of leggings, and an oversized shirt she’d found in a sealed pack in a supply room at the outpost. She made her way out into his kitchen and opened a cabinet finding his stash of alcohol. Well, she thought, how could she pass this up?

            She pulled out a bottle of scotch and saw that it’d barely been touched after having been opened. She went with that one, most of the other bottles were lower, and she assumed maybe this one wasn’t a favorite. She found a glass and poured her some, drinking, and then taking another drink. After a while she finally felt the looseness take her over, the ease of comfort, but the numbness was still there.

            It wasn’t long before she started stretching her limbs, then she was slowly easing herself into the old ballet moves she used to know so well. She still knew them, to her surprise, despite on her way to being drunk. Her mother had put her in ballet as a child, hoping she could broaden her horizons to more than just military, but the pull of service was too great, and she’d always wanted to be just like Alec.

            It was hard having admiration for your father, but at the same time she was conflicted, always in the back of her mind upset that he didn’t do more. He could’ve been more to them, especially after their mother died, but he didn’t. He shut down worse than he ever had, and Emun felt a pang of regret that she was just like him. She ran away from personal problems, she shut people out… She really was just like him, and that thought saddened her a little, and she reached for her glass to down another drink before starting to dance again.

            She felt the graceful moves through her fingertips down to her toes. She was probably terrible now, but it didn’t help being drunk either. She still tried to remember all the little moves, eyes closed. She lengthened her arms out, flowing to the imaginary beat in her mind, when she was startled by the door opening.

            “Are you alright?” He was breathless as he gazed upon her, and she was always so amazed at the way he looked at her. It was the same look her parents gave each other, and it turned her up on the inside, made her want to run, but she didn’t, couldn’t. She’d done that before already and it was miserable, she didn’t want to do it again.

            “Fine.” She said simply, finding the glass on the counter, pouring another round, and taking another drink.

            “I got an alert about you being in here.” He moved closer. “But I didn’t get a message about the Tempest docking.”

            “Hm?” She smirked his way, easing up to him and planting her lips to his. She began to back him towards the couch, coaxing him to sit as she straddled his lap. “It didn’t.” She said as she kissed his neck. He groaned, but he didn’t let her continue.

            “Wait, wait… Baby, what’s wrong?” he found her hands with his, threading his fingers into hers, and she shook her head.

            “Nothing’s wrong, I just wanted to see you.”

            _‘Perhaps you should inform Mr. Vidal of your most recent eidetic trigger?’_ SAM chimed in her thoughts. She promptly ignored him though and dipped her head back down to capture his lips. He relented for a moment until he pulled her away from him.

            “Something’s wrong. Not that I’m complaining, but I know you well enough to know when something’s not right.” He said, and she saw the concern in his hazel hues as she blew out a sigh.

            “It’s fine.” She insisted, hands slipping from him to curl her fingers into his shirt as she tried to settle her lips back against his.

            “It’s not fine, you stowed away on a ship by yourself to get here rather than coming here on the Tempest.” He said and she let out a frustrated sigh.

            _“Mr. Vidal,”_ SAM said, patching into Reyes’s comm as well now _, “Emun has recently discovered a new memory of her father’s involving—”_

            “God damn it, SAM, just stop it! Shut up!” She nearly yelled, moving away from Reyes, but he quickly sprang to catch her.

            “Hey come here. My dear, relax.” He hugged her to him, and she finally felt the tension ease from her shoulders, wrapping her arms around his back as she settled her face into his shoulder. She tried to take deep breaths to calm herself down, and breathing in the scent of him helped. “What happened?”

            She took a shaky breath, not wanting to say anything, but feeling the pull to tell him everything. “I can’t remember if I’ve mentioned this yet… But SAM has been slowly unblocking memories that my father left for me… This last one… It involved my mother’s final moments.”

            “Ah…” He hummed.

            “I was there for part of it… But seeing it from his eyes was difficult.”

            “Tell me about your mother.” He said softly, beginning to slide his hand into hers and slowly swaying. It seemed a comfortable enough action, having already done this before, and it was so natural to dance like this with him.

            “She was lovely. Smart, dedicated. In a lot of ways she was the glue that held us all together. A lot of people always said Shan and I looked like her more than dad… We spent enough time around her that we sound like her too.”

            “Must be why you’re so smart,” he smiled. “You’ve gained a lot of good qualities from your parents.”

            “I just… I don’t want to be like her…” She mumbled quietly and shook her head. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

            “What did you mean then?”

            “She accepted her fate so quickly… She barely fought it, and the only reason she did fight it was because dad pushed her to. I don’t want to be like that. I don’t want to give up.”

            He chuckled, “My dear, I don’t think you’d accept death even if a thresher maw itself was staring you in the face. Besides, I wouldn’t let you.”

            “My dad didn’t let my mum… that didn’t turn out well.”

            “The difference is you.” He leaned in, pressing his lips to hers and she relaxed into him, enjoying the feeling.

            “Good thing there aren’t thresher maws in Andromeda,” She said softly and he began to laugh.

            “Your sense of humor shines when you’re drunk.”

            “I’m not drunk,” She said defiantly, but she knew she kind of was.

            “You hide it well, but you’ve stepped on my foot twice already and didn’t even realize it.”

            “That’s not… I’m not a good dancer.”

            He laughed again, “Lies. You have a dancer’s feet.”

            “What? No I don’t…” She lied, thinking she hid it well that she actually did know how to dance, at least when it came to ballet.

            “Now look who’s lying,” he grinned and she shook her head.

            She sighed, relenting to his pushing, “My mum put me in ballet when I was little… thought she could sway me from everything military before it was too late.”

            “Weren’t you in the N7 program?”

            “Almost. It was the dream until mum got sick. Then dad went full force on the AI research. It kind of… put a black mark on our careers. Shan took it pretty hard.”

            “You did too. In your own way.”

            “I just wasn’t as vocal about it.” She accidentally let out a yawn and he smiled at her. “Sorry…”

            “Well, I hope I’m not boring you.” He grinned, sliding his fingers through her hair then bringing it back to place his palm to her cheek.

            “You know you don’t bore me.” She said and felt the smile on his lips as he touched his mouth to hers.

            “It’s late, let’s go to sleep.” He suggested, planting a light kiss in between her brows.

            “Shouldn’t you be going back to whatever it was you were doing?”

            “No,” He chuckled, “you’re what’s most important right now.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the result of lying in bed all day on a Sunday. Smut Sunday. No regrets. *Maybe a little, this chapter is so smutty* Enjoy ;)

            When Reyes woke, it was early, but she wasn’t nestled beside him in the bed. They’d fallen asleep together after talking a little longer, and that’s all they’d done during the night. He rolled over, seeing her figure in the dimness of the room sitting on the edge of the bed, quiet, probably staring into the darkness of his small quarters. He hadn’t seen her this vulnerable, so naked before him, and he knew he was falling deeper and deeper for her every second they spent together.

            He softly settled his palm against her lower back, easing it up over the fabric of her shirt. It was thin, he could feel the heat of her skin beneath his hand, despite the cold of the room, and he moved to sit beside her, feeling her hand slide over top of his before he could move to touch her again. She didn’t say anything, neither did he, but they didn’t have to. They understood each other without saying a word and she moved his hand to set it onto her shoulder.

            He slipped his fingers into the wide neck of her shirt, sliding it over her shoulder and back as he leant down to place his lips to her flesh. She was warm, her skin still smelled of his soap, and her hair was soft to the touch as he eased his hand up to cradle her head. She let her shoulders relax as he kissed his way towards her neck where she turned her face to his so she could capture his lips with hers.

            It was another slow dance, a different one this time; no nervous anxious touches like the first time, or the furious passion like the second. This time the room was settled quietly in the darkness as he smoothed his hand over her stomach, finding the hem of her shirt so he could sneak his fingers beneath the band of her leggings.

            “Open up for me, baby,” he said against her lips, and she parted her thighs and the action only made him harder. His finger dipped down lower, finding her already wet against his touch and she sighed against his lips, breath hitching in her throat as he worked her. He slid two fingers inside her and she let out a tiny gasp, lips close to his, but unable to keep kissing him. “Do you touch yourself when you’re away from me?” He asked huskily, slowly pumping his fingers in and out of her as she gripped his hand in her own.

            “Sometimes,” She said breathily against his lips, and he felt a twinge of pleasure stroke his cock.

            “Do you think of me?” He kissed her cheek and she moaned, fingers tightening around his forearm.

            “Yes,” she panted, and it was a sweet sound to his ears as he captured her mouth again, sliding his tongue inside to taste the way she gasped. She whimpered, her left hand sliding to his thigh, squeezing.

            “Easy, easy I’ve got you,” he groaned, watching her silhouette in the darkness, seeing her head fall back as she squeezed her thighs shut, holding his hand in place. He wanted to see the little details on her face as she came, but he wasn’t leaving this moment to turn the lights on. He could imagine in perfect detail, he could see the look she bore without having any light. He brought his lips back to hers, and she parted a moment, feeling her bite her lip as she moaned, body tense and he wrapped his free arm around her waist. She relaxed as she came down, kissing him back, and he felt her hand travel up his thigh, kneading, until she skimmed over the waist of his sweats.

            He felt her palm him, and he sucked in a sharp breath but she pulled away to stand in front of him. She stepped closer to him, placing her hands on his bare shoulders and he lifted her shirt up letting her take it the rest of the way off. He placed his lips to her stomach, hands skimming over her scar at her hip then up to her breasts, letting his thumbs slide over her nipples. She sighed again, and he felt her hands on his as she led them down to her hips. Hooking his fingers in her leggings he pulled those and her underwear down her legs, letting her step out of them as she leaned down.

            Her hands were at his sweats, and he lifted briefly so she could ease them down his thighs. She straddled his lap, finding his lips, and he pulled her flush against him, kneading her hips until he ventured back to grab her rear. He could taste a pull of scotch in her mouth, and he briefly wondered if she’d gotten up to have another drink, but the thought was lost on him when he felt her fingers on his aching shaft.

            This time he was the one who gasped in her mouth, sensitive, feeling all those senses brighten with her touch. “Emun,” he grunted, hands running up to grip the tight muscles of her back, and she smirked against his lips.

            “Now look who’s greedy,” she whispered as she settled a hot, open mouthed kiss to his Adam’s apple.

            “I always want more of you. I want all of you.” He watched her still for a moment, her hand slowing down its torture.

            “You’ve got it,” she whispered, but he wasn’t so sure. He’d never be sure with her, but he’d take it for the moment. He slid his hand along her cheek, thumb sliding over her lower lip, but before he could pull his hand away, she placed her palm over it, sucking his thumb into her mouth before she kissed the palm of his hand. He felt the butterflies rustle in his stomach, she was so comfortable with him, so open, naked. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her, letting the heat bloom between them until she was gripping him again to ease him inside of her.

            He felt the warmth of her he craved as she surrounded him, his breath hitching in his throat as she sunk further, and slowly down upon him. He hugged her tighter, then buried his head in her neck and bucked his hips to send himself deeper inside of her.

            “Reyes,” She gasped, and he let out a moan. That alone was almost enough to make him come, and he held his breath. She moved her hips up and down, and he was powerless to her fluid motions. He kissed her shoulder, sucking the chord of muscle between her neck and shoulder and she was breathing harder, fingers digging into his back.

            Every time they made love it was different so far. It was new, tentative the first time around, and the second was so fiery and quick. But this? It was something else, the connection he felt to her was beaming so bright, and he felt as though his heart was going to beat right out of his chest.

            He felt her slow down, her hands framing his face as she pulled him to face her. “You’re shaking,” She echoed his words from the first time he touched her bare skin with his hands, kneeled in front of her as if he was kneeling in worship. He wanted to say it, wanted so badly to tell her how he felt, but he didn’t want to spoil this moment. It was too perfect already, and it would break his heart if she flew from his embrace.

            “You’re too good for me,” he swallowed the breath she let go, the protest she wanted to breathe, and he slid his hand over her cheek, thumbing the three freckles he knew were next to her nose. “You make me feel so good.” He grunted, and he was about to move, about to flip her back onto the bed and show her just how much he appreciated her, but she effectively stopped his motions when she grabbed the sheets and leaned forward, stopping his momentum.

            “No.” Her voice was so hot, so thick like he was inside of her. “I want you like this.” She ran her thumb over his lips, kissing the scorched trail she left behind with that swipe. “Let _me_ have _you_.”

            He was surprised, but she surprised him every time they were together. He loosened the grip he’d had on her, smiling against her lips. She placed her palm against his chest and he let her ease him back against the bed, feeling her relax against his chest as she continued to kiss him, moving her hips to create the friction he craved. He felt her kiss down his chest, her mouth closing over his nipple and he nearly growled at the feeling. He ran his hands down her back, squeezing her cheeks and coaxing her hips to move a little faster.

            “Easy,” she said as playfully as he had before, letting out a moan as she nipped the flesh of his pec. She slid off of him, almost all of the way out and he arched his hips to meet back with hers, feeling the shudder run down her spine.

            “I’m greedy,” he groaned, letting out a guttural sigh when she sat up and sunk him deeper into her warmth. She was heaven, the closest taste he’d ever get to it. He was no good, especially not for her, but he was trying so hard in his own way. He could be more legitimate now, the hardest part was undermining the outlaws and now… Now he could focus on being the better man she thought he was. He bucked his hips into hers, hearing her let out a sharp cry, and he couldn’t stand the slow burn any longer.

            He sat up with her, wrapping his arms back around her as he met her hips thrust for thrust and he was coming undone, finding her clit with his thumb to feel her clench him tightly as he spent himself inside her. Her teeth had found his shoulder as she cried out, fingers digging into the muscles of his back as she clenched his softening length. He slid his hand over the dewy skin of her thigh as they settled their breathing. He brought his other hand up to her cheek and pulled her mouth to his to savor her breathlessness.

            The moment was too good to let go of, and he refused to leave this woman or this bed, this time around. He found the strength to pick her up and move her to her back as they settled down into the bed.

            “I’m not going anywhere this time,” He laid beside her, stroking his thumb over her collar bone as she turned to face him.

            “Good,” She said. “I’m not going anywhere either.”

            “So irresponsible.” He teased with a grin, kissing her jaw where it met her neck.

            “They can manage a few days.”

            “Agreed,” he said, shutting off his omni tool and comm. “Just us?”

            He watched as she did the same. “Just us.”

 

\---

 

            It was easy just to be with him. It didn’t matter what they did, sleeping together, talking to each other. It led her deeper into the depths of knowing what she’d tried to lie to herself about since they found the Archon. She was in love with him, and it terrified her, but the thrill was too great; the adoration and attentiveness she felt was something she never thought she’d acquire.

            She felt the warmth of his gaze, the smooth, sensational way her hand fit neatly into his. Each squeeze, each tug, and she was lost within him. She knew she couldn’t shirk her responsibilities much longer, knew that she’d have to resurface and play Pathfinder once again. It was growing tiresome, she hadn’t wanted the job to begin with, and it had become more than she could handle in the moment.

            It was simply the memory of her mother’s death, it was everything crashing down on her at once, the realization that they would heading out and finding Meridian. Soon. She was lying in his bed still, thoughts swimming in her head as she smelled the food he was cooking in the kitchen. She’d learned a lot about him within the last couple days. He spoke about his mother, his father; she didn’t have to prompt him, he finally let it slip easily from him. There were still some things he didn’t speak about, like how he came to be a part of the Initiative, if he was Alliance or not, but she knew in due time, when he was comfortable with speaking about it he would.

            She didn’t enjoy when people brought her past up. Despite the hero worship others had for Alec, she knew the thoughts that some of those people probably once shared. Not all of them could be as excited about his AI research as they had pretended to be now. He wouldn’t have been essentially exiled from the Alliance if that were the case. So she didn’t like having to explain her military career to anyone after that.

            She finally extricated herself from his bed, finding her clothes and dressing herself. She padded lightly towards the door, peeking around the frame to see him concentrating on cooking their meal. She’d also learned he was a fantastic cook, and she was thrilled about that. They had mostly lived on restaurant food and takeout back home; this had certainly been a treat.

            She saw the small smile spread to his lips, knowing she was creeping beyond the threshold of the door.

            “How about you join me?” He finally spoke, and she wandered into the kitchen, letting her hand slip into his as he pulled her closer settling a kiss first to her heated cheek then to her lips. He kissed her till she was breathless, and she began to chuckle as she pulled away from him.

            “You’re going to burn the garlic.” She said, and he laughed, moving the mixture in the pan before he added some meat into the mix.

            “I’ll happily burn it,” He grinned as she wandered around the counter to sit at the bar across from him.

            She leaned against the cool stone, knowing it was probably time to turn her comms back on. She imagined they were probably almost here by now.

            “You should turn them on. At least send Shannon a message.” Reyes spoke and she shrugged.

            “Shannon knows what I did.”

            “You told him?”

            She shook her head. “No… But I did the same thing when our mother died.”

            “I would hope not the _exact_ same thing.” He implied with a cheeky grin.

            She chuckled softly. “No, not everything was the same. But I took a shuttle clear across the Citadel, and found myself on top of some abandoned warehouse. He tracked me down. He did the same thing basically, said he was holed up in one not far from where I was.”

            He smiled sadly. “I’m sorry you went through that.”

            “I’m sorry for your losses too.” She added.

            “It’s something that gets easier with time, my dear. It’ll always be hard, raw sometimes, but… All you can do is keep pushing forward. Don’t dwell in the past.”

            “Teach me your ways,” She teased, and he smiled at her.

            “You already know what to do. But then you get hit with moments like that memory and it all comes flooding back. The best you can do is to deal with it. Move on.”

            “I know.” She agreed, and watched as he finished making their meal. He placed a plate in front of her as he sat down beside her and they began to eat in a comfortable silence. “Do you do this for all of your lovers?” She asked and he quickly scoffed.

            “No. Never.” He told her and she had to admit she felt a little triumphant over that fact. “I never had a real relationship, it should’ve been obvious that all of this is new to me too.”

            “Not even with Zia?” She watched him grimace.

            “Certainly not with Zia. You have nothing to be jealous over,” He smirked at her and she frowned.

            “I’m not jealous.”

            “Uh huh, then what is it?”

            “I’m only… Curious about something.” She finished her last bite and watched him as he set his utensils onto the plate.

            “Curious about her? Why?”

            “Not her…” She bit her lip, annoyed by the one little thing that had been nagging at her.

            He chuckled lightly, “Then what is it?”

            “I didn’t think I was your type.” She said. She watched him look at her in disbelief.

            “Why would you think that?”

            “Your ex was nearly a head shorter than me, red hair. I’m a little far from being the typical petite woman.”

            He snorted, “First of all, ex is still stretching it for what she was to me. Secondly, Emun, I don’t really have a type. I prefer those who can pique my interest, those that I have fun with, be it women or men. Does that bother you?”

            She raised a brow, “Why would that bother me?”

            He shrugged, “It’s bothered some people in the past.”

            “I’m not some people.” She said and watched him smile.

            “No,” he grabbed her hand kissing her knuckles. “No, you’re not. Why would you think I’d ever have an issue with you being taller than the average woman?”

            She shrugged absently, watching the way his thumb moved lightly over her fingers. “I didn’t get any attention of that manner growing up. Barely received it when I was older. Then after a few flings I gave up.”

            “Until something better came along,” he said suggestively, settling his lips to her palm.

            “You don’t need me to stroke your ego more than it’s already been stroked.” She said, feeling him smile against her hand.

            “Maybe I should stroke _your_ ego then?” She felt her cheeks heat up as she let out a soft laugh. He fiddled with his omni tool, ignoring the few pings he got alerting him to new messages. She smiled, knowing he hadn’t turned it on yet, and he picked out a song. It was one she recognized, a very old one, and he pulled her from the stool to settle them back in the familiar embrace, hand in hers, other settled against her lower back.

            “Samba Pa Ti?” She asked, always having favored this song.

            “Samba for you,” He smiled and she swayed with him to the music. It was like a dream, one she couldn’t get enough of. She couldn’t get enough of him, no matter how cheesy and corny he could be. It was sweet, and she enjoyed it.

            He twirled her under his arm, and she started to laugh as she settled back into his hold, then wrapped her arms around his neck.

            “I love it when you laugh.” He said huskily, lips brushing against her throat and she couldn’t help the smile on her face as he sunk them down to the floor feeling him settle over top of her. The song came to an end as he kissed her, and she sighed, feeling as though she was about to melt back into the floor.

            It wasn’t long before they were naked, feeling the slide of him as he entered her. She loved the grunts he made, his warm breath gusting against her neck as he sucked, bit, hips thrusting against hers. She squeezed the muscles of his ass, letting out a moan, listening to the guttural sounds he made when she squeezed his cock inside her.

            It was euphoric, and she wanted to savor as much of this as she could before she had to leave again. She ran her hand through his hair, mussing it up from its usual pristine style. She captured his lips, tongue fighting against his, moaning when he thrust into her a little harder. She felt him seize her hands, fingers threading with hers as he pinned her arms beside her head; kissing up, down, and back up the column of her throat as he hit each spot harder and faster.

            She was rolling her hips against his, chasing that release, finding she could barely control herself and surrendered to the whims, calling out his name as he shattered her again. He continued rocking into her until he found his release within the tight pull of her sex and he tensed, letting out a loud groan.

            She couldn’t get enough of this, enough of him, and she wondered to herself if she actually wanted to stay on Kadara and just say fuck it to it all. She knew she couldn’t, wouldn’t, it was impossible for her to sit idle and not work. Though she wanted to stay wrapped in his embrace, she did also miss the job that had been handed down to her.

            “It’s too cold out here, let’s go back to bed,” He panted, easing off of her to pull her up. Her knees felt weak, she felt so content, and he led them back to his room where they fell back into bed. She sidled up to him, letting her head rest against his chest and listening to the steadying beat of his heart as he pulled the blankets over top of them.

            She was staring down at her arm and he nudged her back. “Call your brother.”

            She scrunched up her nose, “Not _now_.” She said and he laughed.

            “It’s not like he’s going to know what we just did,” he laughed harder, she knew, when he felt her cheek heat up against his chest.

            “Shut up, I know that you ass.” She scoffed, rolling her eyes. “You still always twist what I say.”

            “And yet you still walk right into it.” He responded, and she felt his lips press against the top of her head. His fingers found their way through her hair, playing with a curl, something she’d become accustomed to.

            “Cocky bastard,” She breathed, and felt the rumble in his chest. “Reyes…” She said his name, knowing she needed to continue the thought, but not knowing if she was ready.

            She heard him breathe out a sigh, “You don’t say my name like that unless something’s on your mind. What mission is coming up that could go terribly wrong?” She could feel him tense, he already had an idea and she wondered who he’d been talking to. Or snooping on.

            “Finding Meridian. I have to go back to the Remnant City I told you about. We were working on gathering data and we have a plan.” He didn’t say anything, but she could feel him tense up. He finally blew out a sigh and she leaned back to see him run his hand through his hair.

            “You make it all sound so simple,” He let out a sad chuckle, and she pursed her lips, knowing he wasn’t going to be happy about this. “I don’t want you to go…”

            “I have to. I have to get there before the Archon finds it.”

            “And what happens if the Archon finds you first again? Emun, you died last time because of him.” She could see that he was frustrated, but she had a job she had to take care of.

            “I understand that you’re upset—”

            “Why does it have to be you?” He shook his head, “Never mind… SAM… He’s a curse and a gift.” She watched him carefully and he placed his hand to her cheek. “It’s because of SAM I’ve gotten to meet you at all, but it could also be what takes you away from me.”

            “Reyes,” but she felt him slip away from her and she watched him leave the room. She could see him through the opening of the door, dressing himself, and then she assumed he was sitting on the couch, because he didn’t leave the flat. She didn’t feel guilty, she knew she had to do it, but she did feel sad about putting him through this.

            She turned on her comms and saw the flood of messages left for her, but before she could read any it started to ping. She decided to answer it and Shannon’s voice filled her ears.

            “You better be alright.” He said.

            “I’m fine.”

            “That’s all you’re going to say? You’re lucky your boyfriend sent me a message, I really wasn’t sure how to track you down this time.”

            “I figured you knew where I had gone.” She responded evenly.

            There was a huff from the other side, “I had a feeling, but it’s not like you commandeered the Tempest and left. You just disappeared!”

            “I left on a transport.”

            “Yep, gathered that. So you’ve been shacked up with your boyfriend in sin for a couple days? Thanks for the imagery, sis.”

            She let out a groan, “Please stop. Where are you?”

            “We’ll be in port in a few hours. Think you can tear yourself away from the love nest?”

            “God, Shan, shut up!” She groaned again and she could hear him laughing. She turned off her comm, shutting it down completely again. She blew out a sigh and saw the light dim in the room. She glanced towards the door and saw him standing in the frame.

            “I’m not mad at you.” He said, but she could still hear the disappointment in his voice.

            “I know you’re not. I’m sorry.”

            He walked back in and sat down on the bed. “You don’t have to be sorry. I’m only worried about you…”

            “Would it make you feel any better to come along?” She joked and he laughed.

            “You know I can’t. Your crew wouldn’t like that, and I’m unfortunately still needed here.”

            “I know.”

            “But if you need help, Emun,” he reached for her hand, threading his fingers with hers. “Please, tell me. I will cross the galaxy to fight alongside you. Promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> He's so damn cheesy. But I love him ❤❤


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh sorry for the wait you guys :D I've probably got one more chapter left in me and then possibly an epilogue? I hope you all like it ^^

            “You know you don’t have to stay here with me.” Emun said to Reyes as they sat in the upper part of Tartarus, letting the rolling beat of the music wash over them. She was waiting for one of her crew members to snag her, and she assumed the most likely culprit would be Shannon. She watched as his hand crept closer to hers, little smile growing wider as he wrapped his fingers around her hand to slip into her palm.

            “I know I don’t have to, but I want to.” He said, voice rumbling low but she could still hear it over the music.

            “Shouldn’t you be sick of me by now?” She smirked his way, taking a sip of the whiskey set in front of her.

            “Never,” he let his eyes slip from their hands, his thumb sliding slowly over her fingers. She couldn’t help the smile on her face as they looked at each other, and she began to laugh and turn away. “What?” He grinned her way and she shook her head.

            “Nothing. It’s nothing,” She placed her empty hand over her mouth, shaking her head. God she felt like such an idiot, but she couldn’t help the tickle of joy she got from being in his presence, letting the way he looked at her wash over her entirely. She leaned ever so closer to him, feeling the soft slide of their noses as they brushed and finally the featherlight touch of their lips as they finally met. His hand touched her cheek, softly sweeping underneath her eye and sliding seamlessly into her hair.

            She didn’t care that they were in public, didn’t care that others could be watching, she only knew that she cared deeply for a man she probably shouldn’t. In the back of her mind she could see her father screaming; briefly, she wondered, how would he have handled the situation on Kadara? Would he have been so forgiving of Reyes? Or would he have killed him, and taken Sloane’s offer to try and set her straight? The latter was probably more likely and her heart ached at the thought.

            It was a slow part from each other as she heard the unmistakable clearing of a throat by her brother. He was looking down on them, narrowed gaze sent more Reyes’s way than hers. She glanced his way, seeing him smirk and he stood to shake her brother’s hand. She watched Shannon straighten his back a little more, the taller of the two, and tried to look tough despite the weariness that was still settled upon him. She rolled her eyes as she could see Shannon trying to squeeze the man’s hand a little tighter and she sighed, taking another sip of her drink. She was about to stand to leave when Shannon plopped down into the seat beside her and she inwardly groaned.

            “You alright?” Shannon asked.

            “Not really anymore.” She responded dryly, knowing this was going to be awkward. She could see Reyes loving this, loving that she was squirming and she wanted to swat him with her hand but thought better than to add fuel to the already burning fire.

            “So what exactly were you doing down here?” Shannon asked and she looked mildly horrified that he would ask such a question and more horrified when she heard Reyes begin to speak.

            “Well—” he had that cheeky tone to his voice and she placed her palm over his mouth.

            “None. Of your business.” She told him, feeling the warm gust of Reyes’s laughter tickle her palm.

            “Yeah,” her brother glared, “I figured as much.” There was silence and she was silently dying. “So, _Reyes_ , how goes the not so shady but super shady business?”

            “Well, Kadara looks much better than it did before.” Reyes answered smoothly once he’d pulled Emun’s hand away from his mouth.

            “Mmhm. I’m sure it does.” Shannon said, his tone clipped.

            “We’re leaving,” she said quickly, about to get up, but saw no movement from both men.

            “Nah, I think we should still sit and chat.” When Shannon reached for her glass she set her palm over the top, hearing a soft tap as it set back against the table. He sent a glare her way and she silently dared him to protest. “Drack let me drink…” He muttered.

            Letting out a sigh, she felt Reyes’s rumble of laughter beside her. “So, Shannon, I have a question for you. How did you two get those scars? She won’t tell me.”

            “Hah,” Shannon scoffed smugly, “because she’s embarrassed by how it happened.”

            “Shannon,” she warned and he grinned.

            “We were young, probably seven or eight—”

            “Please stop,” she interrupted, covering her face with her hands as she leaned back in the seat, sinking a little, just wanting to disappear. Shannon loved telling the real story.

            “Wow, you’re really squirming about this.” Shannon glanced her way. “This is going to be fun,” he looked over at Reyes and she peeked through her fingers to see him smirking. The two of them were loving this.

            “I’m leaving,” She was about to get up, but Shannon didn’t let her go.

            “You could’ve told the story yourself.” Her brother spoke. “It would’ve saved you my theatrics.”

            She groaned, it wasn’t even that bad of a story, but she was still embarrassed that she messed up. And that she almost caused them to go blind in at least one eye.

            “So da always brought home shite to tinker with, always yelled at us about staying away from it. But this one, this one right here, was always curious about tech stuff. So she dragged me on over—”

            “I did not drag you over. You came willingly because you were always stuck up my ass.” She crossed her arms and saw Reyes smiling her way.

            “Okay, fine. That’s true. Buuut, when you see your pristine, perfect sister who never did anything wrong in her life defying orders for the first time? Yeah, you bet I’m curious too.” He said. “So she starts messing with one of the machines and boom, guess it had a self-destruct trigger or something and the machine has a small, minor explosion. Blows up right in our faces basically.” He made a wide gesture and she rolled her eyes, sipping on her drink. “We got burned quite a bit, bits and pieces managed to hit our arms when we held them up, those healed up fine, but we didn’t manage to block them all I guess. Pieces of metal got stuck to our faces and so once we’d ripped them off they left these burn marks. Mangled the shite up of our skin, yeah.”

            “It wasn’t _that_ bad.” Emun let out a sigh, hearing a soft chuckle from Reyes. “Need I remind everyone, I was only eight years old.”

            “Yeah, well anyway, needless to say da was pissed, but I’d never seen him move faster when he took us to the hospital. Nearly crashed the vehicle into others. They proposed reconstructive surgery, but both da and mum maxed their budgets on their research. Much to mum’s horror da said we had to learn to live with them. He blamed me at first.”

            “First of all, it actually wasn’t our father who said we had to learn to live with them. Mum quieted your crying about your pretty face and said that it’d build us character. She wasn’t exactly thrilled that they couldn’t afford to pay for the surgery. Secondly, I told him it was my fault, not yours.” Emun said.

            “Yeah, I know, but somehow I still think he always thought it was me.”

            She shook her head. “Then you always tried to prove him right.”

            “Had to live up to his disappointment, yeah?”

            “Shannon,” She watched him shrug. “You weren’t a disappointment.”

            “Can we not do this in front of your boyfriend? Please?”

            She narrowed her eyes at him. “You’re more than willing to make me feel uncomfortable.” She argued.

            “Well, yeah, it’s fun to see you all fired up.” He chuckled. “Mine’s just pathetic.”

            “It _is_ rather fun to see you squirm,” Reyes chuckled and she swatted him lightly.

            “Do _not_ encourage him.” She warned him, and he smirked her way. Before he could say anything they heard Cora over Shannon’s comm, asking if he’d found her yet. Apparently everyone else had done what they needed to do on Kadara and were waiting for her arrival. She blew out a sigh, knowing what was coming next. They’d head back to the Nexus and she’d forcefully leave Shannon there if she had to, or drag him there while he slept, so they could head back to the remnant city and get this next part over with.

            The three of them left the bar, and Emun told Reyes that he didn’t have to follow, but again he said he wanted to. She had to imagine the Collective was going crazy without his attention the last few days, but he still didn’t let it take his attention from her. They made it back to the Tempest and she watched as Shannon made his way into the hold.

            “Can I tempt you to stay with me here a bit longer? Or… for good?” Reyes said, dipping his head down before he reached up to slide his hand across her cheek and catch her eyes once more with his.

            “I have to go.” She told him, though part of her ached at having to leave so soon. She didn’t have a good feeling about this mission, and usually that feeling was followed by something going wrong.

            He blew out a sigh, leaning in to kiss her forehead and wrap her up in his arms. “I don’t have a good feeling about you going back.”

            “Neither do I.” She said, burying her face into his neck, placing a soft kiss to his warm skin. “But I’m the only one.”

            “Please… Just be careful.” He pulled back from her, easing his lips to hers and she relaxed back into him, gripping his jacket tightly. She really didn’t want to leave him, but in the back of her mind she feared she was clinging far too much. Racing into his arms hadn’t quelled those thoughts of doubt that she should be taking this slower than she was, but he eased her worrying mind when he embraced her so willingly, and held her just as tightly. He deepened their kiss and she let him. She wanted to stay in this moment, kissing him like this, because it felt like the last time she’d be able to do this.

            He groaned as he parted from her, as breathless as she was. “Why does this feel like goodbye?” He said, almost painfully as he settled his forehead against hers.

            “I don’t know.” She said, lost for any proper words. _‘Perhaps you should tell him how you feel?’_ SAM piped up privately, having been silent for the past few days and she’d almost forgotten the AI was still imbedded in her mind. She ignored his prompt; she couldn’t do it.

            “I…” Reyes stumbled, and he shook his head, pressing his lips back to hers in one last searing kiss. “Come back to me, Emun.” He whispered and slipped away from their embrace.

            She watched him go, swallowing the lump in her throat. Was he going to say what she failed to say? She didn’t know how she felt about hearing him say it; was terrified that someone could actually love her. _Love her_. How could that have happened? She was such a closed off mess, how had she even allowed him to break her barriers?  
            _‘Perhaps, Ryder, that is what love is. Allowing oneself to be completely naked in front of the other; allowing the walls to be broken through. There is no doubt now, I’ve encountered what you’re feeling before. This is what love feels like. This is what your father and mother shared. You are in love with Mr. Vidal.’_ She felt her heart racing and she stepped onboard the Tempest. She tried to quickly make her way to her quarters to lock herself inside, but heard Lexi call out to her as she passed the med bay. She continued forward and realized the Asari was right behind her when she was about to shut her door. Reluctantly she let her inside, then radioed to Kallo that she was on board and that they could leave.

            “Are you alright, Emun? You look flushed.”

            “I’m… fine.” She lied, then ran her hand through her hair. “I’m not fine.”

            “Talk to me.” Lexi said, leading them over towards the couch as the Tempest began to ease into the air. “Why’d you run off like that? We were worried sick!”

            “I saw an old memory of my father’s about my mother’s… Her final day. But, Lexi, I have to tell you something else… Please don’t judge me for this…”

            “What is it?”

            She shook her head, not wanting to say it out loud. “SAM, help…” She grudgingly gave up.

            _“Ryder has discovered that she’s in love with Mr. Vidal.”_ He said plainly and Emun let her face sink into her hands.

            “Emun, really?” Lexi began to smile. “You’re in love with the man?”

            She shrugged face on fire, “I know I shouldn’t—”

            “Shouldn’t? Emun, the man dotes on you. Forget the Charlatan stuff, he really does seem to care about you. He made sure to radio to Shannon about your being on Kadara when he found out you were there. And Shannon told me…” She paused a moment. “Well, Shannon says that he knows that Reyes cares for you quite a bit. He thinks he’s good for you.”

            She rolled her eyes. “He has a funny way of showing that. He’s still treating me like I’m his little sister who needs to be protected.”

            Lexi chuckled. “Well, you technically are his little sister. You know him, of course he’s not going to think anyone could be good enough for you. You’re all he has left, and he’s afraid of losing you too. You should go easy on him.”

            She blew out a sigh. “I know…”

            “Have you told Reyes about your feelings?”

            “No… I’m terrified to say it… I don’t think I could go through with it.”

            “What if he told you first?”

            “I don’t see that happening… And I don’t… I don’t know if I could say it even if I meant it… Lexi, I’m a mess.”

            She smiled her way. “Emun, you are far from a mess. It’s a first for you. Take it slow, and only do what feels comfortable.”

            “Thank you, Lexi… I know I haven’t been as good of a friend to you as you have been to me, but I appreciate it.”

            “Don’t sell yourself short. Your friendship has been invaluable to me, Emun.”

            “And yours to me.”

 

\---

 

            They were back on the Nexus and Emun had managed to lead Shannon all the way back to the Hyperion. She claimed she had something she needed to show him in SAM Node, and he’d believed her. She hated that she was going to leave him behind but she had to do it. She couldn’t risk him coming with her on this mission, especially when she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that she had.

            “So what was so important that we had to stop by here for? We should be heading back to the remnant city, yeah?”

            “Yes. I am. But you’re not, Shan.”

            “What are you talking about? Of course I’m going to go with you! You can’t shut me out now!”

            “I can, and I will. You’re not going with us.” She said evenly, and before he could protest any further she shoved him through the doors. “SAM, lock him in.” She told him and she let out a sigh. “I’m sorry, Shan…” She backed away and made her way back to the Tempest.

            It had to be done, despite the saddened feeling she got leaving him here. She wanted him with her, and to be honest she didn’t want him out of her sight. She couldn’t be too careful, but with the uneasy feeling she had she felt this was the best course of action.

            It wasn’t long before she’d gotten back to the Tempest, hurriedly telling Kallo to take off just in case Shannon was able to get out of there quickly and head their way. She checked with SAM the whole way back to make sure he was still inside the node.

            The trip there seemed long, almost agonizingly so. They tried to bide their time by doing things to get their minds off the mission. However it usually ended up the same way, each of them going their separate ways to do things on their own as they thought about what lay ahead.

            They were so close to finding Meridian. What would happen once they were able to find it? She hoped it would be the answer that they’d all been looking for. They’d worked so hard to unlock the vaults and make these worlds better for everyone. She didn’t need a thank you, didn’t want it, she just wanted to be able to help since she was able to do it, was the only one who _could_ do it.

            Entering the remnant city once again did absolutely nothing to quell the foreboding feeling she had. She decided to take Drack and Jaal with her this time, despite the ease the mission should have. Scans showed there was barely any activity still, and therefore it should’ve been an easy in and out.

            But nothing was ever that easy and Emun knew it. No one questioned her decisions at the moment, knowing she was always cautious and prepared. This was important and they were almost to the finish line. Something was going to happen, however what that entailed she had no idea.

            It was pretty simple so far, fighting through a few remnant until they’d come to the room they needed to be at. They entered, nothing looked too daunting, but the feeling still threatened to fully consume her. Drack and Jaal were beginning to sense her mood. She should’ve known better than to bring these two considering they were pretty keen when it came to reading people, especially her. She was slower in her movements, took even more precautions than usual, and a lot more quiet if that was even possible.

            SAM instructed her on what she had to do and she eased her way over towards the console staring down at it for a moment too long which caused Drack to step forward.

            “Hey, kid, what’s bugging you?”

            “Something’s wrong.” She said while the frown deepened upon her brow.

            Drack scoffed, “Something’s always wrong. Well, let’s hurry it up then and get back to the Tempest.”

            “Right…” She said, and finally moved her hand over the console to concentrate. It lit up; saying it was like Christmas was so cliché but that’s exactly what it felt like when all the lights sparkled above and around her. Stars to burn bright, the scourge; it showed the remnant ships begin to take off and SAM informed her he had the coordinates for Meridian. It was happening, this was it. Maybe her bad feeling was for nothing. There it was, an odd-looking sphere projected before them.

            _“Meridian, Pathfinder.”_ SAM spoke and they all stared at it, curiosity taking them over.

            “Can this be correct? The data says it is hollow?” Jaal was bewildered and admittedly so was she. It looked… It was similar to a planet but was it?

            SAM began to explain that it was a self-contained seed world; the heart of the vault network. SAM stopped talking. She didn’t think much of it and she watched it; Meridian.

            “We have to get there before—” She froze feeling a heat surge throughout her, nerves on fire and she let out a grunt, trying to brace herself on the console before she collapsed completely onto the floor. What was happening? She hadn’t felt like this since Habitat 7 when her helmet cracked open; the raging fire, the burning in her lungs, it was all there.

            “Ryder? Ryder, are you okay?” Jaal was by her side, when suddenly the Archon’s voice flooded their comms. They’d fallen into his trap; this was exactly what he’d been aiming for. That they’d stupidly walk into this place and lead him right to where he needed to go. How idiotic could she have been? Of course he had this place monitored, it was all one big setup.

            _“I was foolish to believe you were a fitting rival. You are nothing more than a lie. Luckily, I do not need you any longer. Thanks to your memories, I now know there is another option. Another reason to take your Hyperion.”_

            “Shannon!” She screamed in agony. No! NO! That was exactly what she’d been trying to prevent by leaving him there. Her insides were on fire, there was no better word to describe it, her shouts echoing in her mind. She was so stupid, how could she let this happen? She’d doomed her brother to being a weapon, doomed SAM. She tried to make her way towards the door, muffled shouts from Drack and Jaal trying to get in touch with the Tempest.

            “She’s dying! I think she’s dying!” Jaal yelled.

            “KID!” Drack tried to grab her stumbling form, but she had to get to the door. She had to go, she couldn’t let Shannon be taken.

            Another pulse racked her body. “Shannon!” She growled out again, she could barely hear the rapid beating of her heart in her ears anymore as everything seemed to darken. The black hole was consuming her, threatening to engulf her entirely. She fought it, trying to make it just a little further as she pushed Drack away from her.

            _“Fall to darkness, Pathfinder. You were almost worthy.”_

            She heard that, it was the last thing as she watched the doors shut in front of her. She thought she’d screamed something else, but she couldn’t hear anything else any longer. She fell, not feeling anything anymore. She couldn’t let it end like this, but her body had given her no choice.

 

\---

 

            Shannon hurriedly fit himself into the last piece of his armor, booting his shields. The Hyperion was on high alert, under attack, and he’d be damned if he didn’t do anything to help, preferring to go down fighting if that was his fate. He was still pissed he was even here, knowing he should be on the Tempest beside his sister, but Emun made sure of that once again. But he was worried, he’d tried to radio the Tempest, let them know what was going on here, but the comms had gone dark, and nothing was getting out at the moment.

            _“Shannon.”_

            He suddenly stopped. “SAM?” He was confused. “What’s going on? How is this possible?”

            _“Shannon, Emun needs you.”_

            He immediately halted his jogging, stepping aside amidst others running past. “What do you mean? What happened?”

            _“The Archon has severed my connection to your sister. If basic function is not restored, she will die.”_

            His eyes widened, mouth parting. “Tell me what I need to do.”

            _“I need you to secure a weapon. The Archon wants you and me. He will use us to weaponize Meridian, and in so doing, Emun will die.”_

            “Shite, fucking shite,” He breathed, hurrying through the halls as fast as he could, sweat beginning to accumulate at his brow. He found a weapons locker in the depot and grudgingly pulled out a pistol after not being able to find anything else.

            _“If Emun loses me, she will die.”_

            “Yeah, SAM, I got that part,” he barked, but he couldn’t miss the slight difference in SAM’s voice. He was worried.

            He rounded a corner and immediately backtracked in his haste as a bullet ricocheted off his shield. Kett were in this section already, and he took a breath as he looked around the corner and capped one of them in the shoulder as he spotted the other. He took a few more shots, managing to take the two of them down.

            _“You need to get to the comm override. From there we can send a pulse to Emun to restore her basic functions.”_

            “Got it.”

            _“Hurry, Shannon.”_

            He moved forward, up the stairs and across to another door, opening to hear Captain Dunn shouting and more Kett in front of them. He threw a grenade across the room, watching the few of them blast aside.

            “SAM says you’re fighting to the comm override.” Dunn said as he followed her across the room. “You need to take the access route instead. Follow me there.”

            “Right!” He ran after down the hallways and they came upon a group who were trying to fight off the growing number of Kett.

            “Cover, Shannon! We need to get him to the access route!” Dunn shouted, and he hid behind a crate trying to shoot at the onslaught. “The Pathfinder is in trouble, we can handle this, Shan! Go! Go now!” She told him, and despite wanting to help them fight, he bolted for the door, bullets trying to tear at his shields.

            He made it into the tunnel, moving forward. He had to get to there. He had to save his sister. After all the times she tried to take care of his careless ass, he had to do this for her. He finally entered the room, SAM telling him he needed to send a manual reboot signal to Emun’s implant in order to reset her functions.  

            There was no hesitation for Shannon to hit the button; he’d sacrifice himself for his sister any day. He knew she would do the same in less time than what it took for a heart to beat. “SAM, can you get Reyes on the line?”

            _“I will try to administer a quick override, Shannon.”_ A few moments later and he heard the man’s confused voice enter his ears.

            _“Shannon?”_

            “Reyes, I don’t have much time, but you need to know this. The Archon has invaded the Hyperion and he set Emun up to sever her connection to SAM. He’s after SAM and me now.”

            _“What? Is she alright?”_ Reyes’s voice was filled with worry.

            “I hope so. SAM basically had me send a restart for her implant, but… The Archon probably knows where I’m at.”

            _“I’m… I’m sorry.”_

            “Don’t worry about me. You have to help Emun. You know how stubborn she is. She’ll run in guns blazing for me. Don’t let her do it. I don’t want her to get herself killed for me.”

            _“Wait, Shannon—”_

            Two Kett came into the room and he immediately shot them down. “Reyes… Take care of her for me, alright? You’re good for her. I’ve done nothing but hold her back our entire lives…” Before the other man could protest, the room swarmed with more Kett, more than he was able to shoot, and they quickly took him down in his still weakened state. It wasn’t long before he blacked out, and he dearly hoped Emun was alive.

            “Shannon? Shannon!?” Reyes yelled, causing Keema to look over from her spot across the room. “Shit,” he cursed, running his hand through his hair. He didn’t know what to do. Emun could be dead and Shannon was in the process of getting captured by the Archon; he could still hear his anguished cries as he was subdued, gunshots that rang out were still echoing in his ears.

            He tried to contact Emun, her comms were dead. Where the hell were these coordinates for the remnant city? He was kicking himself in the ass for not getting those from her before she left. They both had bad feelings, why didn’t he ask her where it was? And Meridian for that matter? If that’s where the Archon was heading then that’s where Shannon would be, but Emun… She was in the that city still, possibly dead. He had to do something, but what the hell could he do? He let out a growl, feeling useless, suddenly punching the desk he was near which cracked under the force of his fist.

            “Reyes!” Keema rushed over, grabbing his arm when he wound up for another swing. “What’s going on? What happened?”

            “Emun is in trouble! And the Hyperion is under attack while her brother’s being taken! I have to do something! I—”

            “Do you know where they’re at?” Keema tried to calm him down, hands placed upon his shoulders now.

            “No,” He felt like he was in agony not knowing if Emun was okay. If she was dead he… He didn’t know what he was going to do, but he’d rain fire and hell down upon the Archon himself. His heart was slowly breaking at the thought of her being gone for good. “I have to… I have to…” But he didn’t know what to do; he was breathless at his racing thoughts.

            “Reyes, calm down.”

            He was about to shrug out of her hold, commandeer one of the outpost’s transport ships, and go to the Nexus. Someone there had to know the coordinates of where this remnant city was, but before he could break from Keema’s hold his omni tool dinged and he immediately checked it. It was a message from SAM. The first thing it said was that it was highly probable that Emun was alive and despite their connection being severed he knew that she was probably heading straight to Meridian. The Archon had taken the Hyperion with him and Shannon was on board the Archon’s ship. And within the last part of SAM’s message he tucked a huge gift. Coordinates for Meridian that SAM was able to acquire before he was disconnected from Emun and Reyes had never been more thankful for the AI’s watchful presence.

            “I know where she’s going. Gather everyone who can hold a damn gun and knows how to use it. Tell them to meet down at the outpost and if they’re not there in half an hour they can expect the worst from the Charlatan.”

            “Reyes, we’ll be leaving Kadara Port defenseless if we do that. Should we not leave at least a small group here just in case?” Keema reasoned.

            Reyes took a breath; Keema was right. “Yes, yes you’re right. I need you to stay here, Keema. We can’t risk losing you. You’re too important.”

            She grabbed his arm before he could start running from the port. “As are you, my friend. You bring our girl back, but try to be careful.”

            “I will. I promise.”

 

\---

 

            _Ryder_

            The voice echoed within her, gravelly, vibrating all around her. Her name over and over again, desperation lacing it.

            _Ryder! Wake up! Damn it, kid! You can’t be dead! Don’t you dare die on me, Emun!_

            The growls reverberated in her being. She wanted to wake up. She needed to wake up, but everything hurt, solid, a weight on her chest. Hard pushes that made her ribs creak. The darkness was lasting; it felt like she couldn’t breathe, felt like she was back on Habitat 7 and she could feel panic flowing throughout her veins. She would tell herself to slow down, ease her breathing, but she didn’t know if she could even breathe.

            Shannon. She had to wake up. The Archon was going to take Shannon! She’d never felt so much fear in her life. He couldn’t take him from her. She’d already lost dad to this system, she wasn’t going to lose him too.

            It was useless. She was dying once more, or dead already. SAM was gone and she never realized just how much she missed him until the void had taken her. It had always unnerved her, she didn’t exactly want the implant, but she didn’t want to fight with her father about it when going on this journey. Then with everything happening it, _he_ , had saved her life. She was grateful, even though she’d rather have her thoughts to herself.

            A gasp wracked her, a gust of air finally entering her lungs and it was a sweeter breath than when she’d finally woken up from her cryo sleep. But it hurt still, so badly and she rolled to her side, head reeling, dizziness overtaking her. The room spun until she could see Drack beside her.

            “Kid, you’re alive,” he said relieved, hand placed on her shoulder. “Take it easy.”

            “I… I can’t,” She tried to catch her breath as she made to get up. “Shannon,” She gasped again. “He’s going to take… Shan.” She whimpered, pain still coursing through her and Drack kept her from getting up. “My chest hurts.”

            “She’s alive,” She heard Jaal say. “Drack tried to administer what you humans call CPR. Lexi taught us in case your heart stopped again.”

            She didn’t know if she should thank Lexi or not for the added bout of pain that echoed in her ribs, but the gesture was touching, however it all faded from the front of her mind as only one thing occupied her thoughts.

            “SAM… SAM is gone,” She panted, crawling over towards her father’s helmet which lie beside her. “I’ve got… Got to…” She wheezed and Drack once again steadied her, trying to keep her still.

            “Listen, kid, you need to slow it down right now.”

            “Drack,” She groaned, “I have to…” She put her helmet on, crawling to her knees as she tried to get her feet underneath her. Drack stood, the old Krogan knowing she wouldn’t stop until she was standing and hefted her to her feet, holding onto her.

            “What would you suggest we do? If SAM is gone, we cannot escape from here.” Jaal stated. She looked over to the remnant console, and moved toward it with Drack’s help. She practically collapsed over its surface, arms wobbling as she held herself up. Drack stood like the supportive pillar he was right next to her, keeping a hand close and ready to catch her if she fell.

            “What’re you trying to do?” He asked and she placed her hand over the console, concentrating, head in pain and she faltered for a moment. “You need to stop!” Drack said and she pulled herself up again.

            “No.” She placed her hand over it again, a heavy groan escaping her as she felt her knees nearly buckle, but the door opened just slightly. “Almost…” She tried again, finally feeling relief as it opened and suddenly their comms were reconnected. They radioed to the Tempest that they’d gotten the door to open and they were on their way.

            She held her gut, feeling like she was about to collapse, but felt the world spin around her as Drack hefted her over his shoulder.

            “Hang on, kid, we’re getting out of here.”

            “Drack,” She tried to protest, but found herself clutching onto him as he ran, holding her even through the trip up the gravity well. Once up top they exited the chamber, the crew hurriedly heading their way.

            “Is she alright?” She heard Lexi’s voice, and Drack set her down.

            “I’m fine,” She said.

            “Emmy, what’s wrong with you? I thought we talked about you dying! It’s not a good idea!” She heard Liam’s concern as he placed his hand to her shoulder. “We’re really gonna need you to stop doing that, yeah?”

            She pulled off her helmet, trying to catch her breath and Lexi tried to scan her as the others fought about a plan. She knew what had to be done; she’d spotted the console to her right, but she knew the crew would not allow her to do it. She waited a moment, Lexi heading back over to the group as she got her bearings, hands planted firmly on her knees until she could straighten up.

            They were shouting at each other regarding the course of action they needed to take and she quietly made her way over to the console. She knew what needed to be done. What _would_ be done. Once there she placed her hand over it.

            “Wait, Emun, what are you doing?! STOP!” She heard Lexi shout, and she grunted as she finished the connection, bracing her arms on its surface to keep herself standing.

            Lexi was right beside her, and she felt the trickle of blood leak from her nose which she quickly swiped away, hoping that no one else saw it. She glanced at Lexi, saw the concern all over her face, and squeezed her eyes shut before she tried to stubbornly stand up straight. She swallowed hard, trying to get the dizzy feeling to pass.

            “We’re going to Meridian.” She told the rest of the crew. “End of story.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, you guys, this is the last FULL chapter for this story :D I'm so excited, I actually finished something! Although there's always room for more in case there's more Reyes inspired content to be released in the future ^^ But for now, Emun's game journey is coming to an end (:

            “You can tell Tann to fuck off!” Emun shouted as she stormed her way through the Tempest. They’d been heading towards Meridian at full speed, and in the meantime she was getting messages from the Nexus left and right about how the Tempest wasn’t a war ship and she shouldn’t be going in guns blazing when she didn’t exactly have guns to blaze with. She should let others better equipped handle this situation.

            She didn’t care what they thought, the Tempest was quick, stealthy; they could catch the Archon off guard. If he didn’t realize she was still alive, she could possibly sneak on board his ship. Except this time she didn’t care about being quiet. She’d pave a path of destruction tailor made especially for that bastard.

            She was back in the med bay, still suited up in the under suit of her armor, receiving another round of pain killers from Lexi. Everything hurt, and she was told her vitals were still all over the place. The basics of SAM’s implant was what was keeping her alive, but that was basically it. It was barely holding together the repairs that SAM had put forth from when he first brought her back to life.

            “You need to slow down.” Lexi finally said.

            “No. I need to get to Meridian.”

            “Emun, if you don’t slow down and get some rest, you’re going to end up killing yourself, and I don’t think you’re lucky enough to come back a fourth time!” Lexi shouted and she was startled at the Asari’s outburst. “I know Shannon is in trouble and it breaks my heart, but you’re frighteningly irrational right now!”

            She pursed her lips, trying to take a deep breath. “All my life people have told me to show more emotion, not to be made of stone. Anger is an emotion, and I fully intend to use it. Are we done here?” When Lexi nodded she left the med bay, and Kallo called out for her to head to the bridge. She quickly went up there and he informed her they were getting close.

            The screen lit up before them and she was greeted by the Archon’s face. She wanted to put a bullet in him.

            _“It seems you have managed to surprise me once more.”_ He spoke. _“It’s useless. I have what I need.”_

            “Shannon?!” She shouted, heart beginning to race.

            _“I’m here. He’s going to use SAM and me as a weapon!”_

            “I know.” She said. “I’m going to get you out of there.”

            “Don’t you dare! Don’t risk yourself—”

            _“There’s no need for heroics. You won’t be able to stop me.”_

            She looked past the screen to see just how many ships he had out there. Swallowing hard, she steeled her resolve. “I’ve bested you at every turn,” her quiet arrogance was getting the better of her, but she didn’t care. She needed him to be scared of her, she was also angry that he never took her seriously. “I will get my brother back. And I will put a bullet in your fucking head!” She shouted.

            “Hey, hey, Emmy, calm down.” She felt Liam’s hand on her arm and she turned on him, not realizing that the others were behind her. “We’ve got this. We’re right here with you.”

            She turned back to the screen, the Archon was still smirking. _“Your attempts have been laughable. You won’t even make it past my fleet.”_ He cut the comm link and she felt like she was out of options, until she noticed the creeping sprinkle of the scourge around them.

            “When your back’s against the wall…” She whispered to herself. “If you can’t run… Use it.” She looked around, everyone was still staring at her, wondering what to do. A bout of astonishment hit her; how had she come to be in this position? She was never the leader, she was the dutiful soldier that followed orders. Yet here she was. She had to follow her gut. “Kallo, use the scourge.”

            “What?!” His eyes widened.

            “Get as close to it as possible. We’re going to lose the Archon in the scourge and get down there.”

            “But, Ryder!”

            “Can you do it, Kallo?” She asked and they stared at each other for a beat.

            “Yes. Yes!” He said and began to maneuver their way through the mess. When they’d successfully evaded the Archon’s fighters, letting them get trampled by the scourge, Kallo let out a victory cry, and the crew dared to join in. She stayed calm, turning to her pilot to tell him that he’d done a good job. The metallic looking plating seemed to open up as they got closer to Meridian and a bright light whitened within the cockpit. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing, everything looked inverted and suddenly the engines stopped and she braced herself. Kallo quickly apologized and righted the Tempest and what lay before them was a lush, green looking world splayed around them.

            This was it. She left, heading towards the cargo bay. She suited up quickly, ignoring the pain that was shooting through her chest. Turning around to once again find her crew.

            “Ground team with me is going to be Drack, Liam, and Vetra. Cora, Peebee, Jaal, I want you three to hang back and assess the situation. Once we have a clear picture of what we’re dealing with inside join us, otherwise if it’s too dangerous, stay back a little longer.” She didn’t want to risk taking Cora, as she would be the next in line in case things went wrong. She was expecting the worst, almost expecting to not come back and the thought was beginning to shake her. She didn’t want this to be it.

            She was about to ask SAM if he could get her in touch with Reyes while she watched the others gather their things, but forgot that the AI was no longer with her. She looked down at her arm, knowing she should probably try and contact him, but she didn’t. Her long range comms hadn’t been working right since she was severed from SAM, and it’d become the least of her problems. She hastily wrote out a message and programmed to send it out in a few hours if it would even work.

            She could feel it now, the want and need to do so much more with him. She never thought she’d be able to feel this way about someone. She wanted to make it back, but she knew she would do everything and anything possible to get her brother back. If she had it her way she’d leave the rest of the crew behind, but that would be impossible. They were watching her like a hawk, making sure she didn’t do anything too rash.

            They geared up and packed into the Nomad, dropping onto the planet in a flourish. She adjusted after the fall, then hurriedly raced forward. She tried to be careful, the Kett were sending in shuttles to shoot at them, and she was so far able to avoid their shots.

            “Wow, Emmy, your driving’s gotten better.” Liam tried to joke and Vetra chuckled.

            “Shut up, Kosta,” Vetra said good naturedly, but Emun focused on the path ahead. She was going too fast, careening off a small cliff and it felt like the Nomad was floating until it hit the ground.

            “Never mind, I take it back.” Liam said, and Drack began to snicker. They kept moving forward at top speed, and the quiet began to fill the cab. They were uneasy, but they didn’t want to question her. She was glad, considering she didn’t want to snap at them more than she already had.

            “The Hyperion’s at risk.” She finally said, noticing it out the window.

            _“We’ll guard the Hyperion,”_ Kandros’s voice filtered through their comms.

            “You can’t do it alone,” She spoke.

            _“That’s why the whole damn cavalry is here.”_ She nearly stopped the vehicle, but kept it surging forward.

            “Reyes?” She breathed.

            _“Shannon got in touch with me before he was taken. So Keema contacted the Charlatan to rally the forces. Emun… Are you okay?”_

            “I’m fine,” She lied, she was as far away from fine as she could be. “Thank you for being here.” She said, watching their shuttles head in front of them.

            They continued forward, until the Nomad came to a halt like it had just hit a wall. She let out a growl, slamming her fists down on the wheel. “Work, damn it! WORK!” She shouted.

            “Kid, calm down.” Drack said beside her, while she was panting at the pain beginning to take its toll once more. The pain meds were curbing the biting of her nerves only slightly, but she still felt the fatigue and the endless anxiety at Shannon being used.

            “Drack—”

            “I know. We’ll get him back. Let’s move forward. We can’t use the Nomad any longer. You got this.”

            _“What’s going on?”_ Reyes asked, he must’ve been watching their movements.

            “The Nomad’s fried,” Emun told him as they piled out the vehicle. She had to gather her bearings for a moment, feeling a wave of dizziness accompanied by an unsettling feeling of nausea hit her as she adjusted to being back on her feet. The weight of her weapons seemed heavier than normal and Vetra placed a hand on her shoulder.

            “Ryder, stay calm. We’re right here with you. Just let us know if you need help.”

            She shook her head. “Thanks.”

            _“Kandros and I are going to head your way. Oh, and Evfra is here too. He says hello.”_ Reyes said, and she almost felt like smiling considering she could see the look of disdain on the Angara’s face.

            Evfra’s familiar grunt entered the comms. _“We have some resistance troops and Krogan scouts on the way.”_

            She moved forward, heading into the firefight. There were Kett soldiers on the ground already, and they were firing upon their groups. They came upon an area with boulders and cover from fire. She didn’t realize how difficult it’d be to pull out her Black Widow and hold it up, but she was struggling at the effort. She grit her teeth through the pain, setting up shots and taking them out, agonizing over the recoil, but still doing it despite the ache.

            The fight was heavy, Kett were everywhere, and the four of them were joined by Angara and other ground troops. She was glad she’d made the time to beef up their arsenal, and without being at one hundred percent, the gratitude was even greater for the help.

            They had been doing pretty good with the onslaught, but she was still dragging, even more tired than before when she heard a roar, ground beginning to shake. Flashbacks from the Archon’s ship began to hit her when she saw the exalted Krogan barreling its way towards her. She moved out of the way in time as it slammed its fist down onto the ground where she had herself posted. She briefly wondered where the Archon had gotten more Krogan, but there was a planet full of them, prime for the picking.

            She rolled out of the way, shooting it point blank and it roared again. She went to shoot it again, but her magazine was empty, and she didn’t have time to reload before it would come after her again. She felt a hand at her arm, hefting her up, and her concentration slipped at seeing Reyes beside her.

            “Move, move,” He said to her, but the Krogan began to charge and he started to shoot. It got closer, his clip empty, and she watched as he rolled his shoulder back and punched the damn thing. She was shocked in her haze, amazed as she watched it stumble backwards, and she couldn’t deny that she was just a little flustered at seeing him do that.

            A team of Angara began to shoot the exalted Krogan as it had stumbled backwards and she continued to stare in shock Reyes’s way. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t at least a little turned on at the display, but she blamed it on the pain killers, and her weakened state.

            “Are you alright?” He moved towards her, running his hand through his disheveled hair, the spike of adrenaline still washing over him, and all she could do was slightly nod her head. “I punched a damn Krogan.” He shook his hand out, breathless, and a little shocked himself.

            “That was reckless…” She finally said, but she moved in and wrapped her arms around him. They were in the cover of a broken wall, but admittedly she was still just in awe of him being here, and she hadn’t exactly thought it through that they were still in the thick of a battle zone. He dropped everything to be here. He pulled her helmet off and gave her a quick kiss.

            “I thought you were dead,” He breathed, voice shaking when he parted from her and she bit her lower lip before taking in an unsteady breath.

            She held him tighter, the reality of their situation beginning to creep upon her and she watched their surroundings closer. “I didn’t think I’d see you again…” She whispered, kissing him one more time. “But now’s not the time,” She finally said, and he nodded, grabbing her helmet and handing it back to her as she put it back on.

            She grabbed her Black Widow, putting in a new clip and he did the same with his rifle. She followed after him, newly energized at having him by her side, and they took out a few more Kett before Evfra radioed that the area was clear. There was an entrance ahead of him, and she knew this was it.

            This was her final push. She wanted to rush in, but Kett ships suddenly began to fire upon them. Reyes pulled her down behind a barrier, and a couple of their shuttles came around, blasting the Kett ships to smithereens. It was the other Pathfinders, and she was so grateful for their assistance.

            _“Ryder, get in there. We’ll protect the Hyperion.”_ Hayjer relayed over the comms. Once again she was about to rush in, it’s what she was planning to do, however Reyes had stopped her.

            “I know this is crucial, but spare a moment, please.” He pulled her off to the side, away from her squad mates who were at the door waiting. The threat of the Kett ships had been taken care of and they were safe again for the moment. She took off her helmet and set it on the ground when they were off to the side, and her breathing began to quicken at not moving forward with the mission. She dearly hoped the unfamiliar impatience she’d been experiencing would not last, but when she looked at Reyes, saw the sadness in his eyes, she began to worry that this would be the last time she’d see this man.

            “This is it,” He said, words seeming to escape him for a brief moment.

            “I need you out here, I can’t have you in there with me, Reyes, I don’t… I don’t want anything to happen to you too.” She said, desperation beginning to lace her usually even and calm tone.

            He blew out a sigh, hand running back through his hair. “You brother will kill me if I let you go in there.”

            “Let me?” She raised a brow.

            “I know, I know, but those were his words. I know I can’t stop you… and I know you have to go, but it doesn’t make me worry any less. I’ll stay here with the ground forces to make sure no more Kett enter the facility. I know you can handle yourself…” She didn’t say anything and he found her hand, sliding his fingers into her palm. She wanted to feel his skin on hers, feel the warmth, the spark, everything about him in just one little touch. But for now, the pressure of his hold, the memory of his skin would have to suffice.

            She glanced at the others. They were waiting and trying not to make it obvious they were watching them, but for once she didn’t care about being professional. She eased in close to him, wrapping her arms around his neck as she held him close once more.

            He chuckled. She loved that chuckle, she’d missed it already, craved it, even finally admitting to herself how much she really cared for him.

            “I like this affectionate side of you,” he tried to keep it light. “We should explore that more when you come back.”

            She pulled back to look at him, catching his eyes, loving the downward tilt to them, how expressive they could be, the laugh lines at the edges showing all the character this man had. She placed her hand to his cheek and he couldn’t tear his eyes from hers. She leaned forward, lips brushing his softly, the whisper of longing ghosted between them and a piece of her wanted to stay here, but she knew she couldn’t. She had to leave. She had to leave now.

            She broke away from him, but he caught her before she could get far. “Come back to me, Emun.”

            She swallowed hard, lips twitching into a small smile. “I promise.” But it was laced with sadness and not much confidence and she had to tear from his grip to rush towards the door before he could keep her there any longer for her lies. She caught her helmet, put it on, and they went inside ripping through the Kett the deeper they went.

            She couldn’t stop, wouldn’t stop, not even when they were tearing at her shields. She was battered, her crew trying to protect her, but there wasn’t much they could do. She was one step ahead of them, even in her weakened state, and Drack finally had to nearly glue himself to her in order to keep her safe.

            “Kid, we need you to slow down. You won’t be any good to your brother if you’re dead. You’re the only one who can stop the Archon when we get there.” He told her, and she nodded, absently, barely even there, but she knew he was right.

            They finally made it to an empty hall, doors were closing and remnant were showing them the way. She began to run again, knowing there was only one person who was doing this, giving them the signs they needed. Shannon was still okay, but her worry increased ten-fold when she began to hear him and the Archon over some sort of comm system inside. He was hurting, in pain, and she knew he couldn’t take much more of this.

            _“Get out of my head!”_ She heard him yell, and she couldn’t get there fast enough. It was a blur, she barely saw where she was going, she just knew she had to get to Shannon and stop this madness.

            They were running down a bridge; she didn’t even stop to make sure it was clear. It was reckless, she knew, but Shannon could be running out of time. She could hear the Archon’s voice, he was almost connected. They made it to the door and they entered, she could see them across the expanse of the room. It was unlike anything she’d seen.

            The Archon was getting ready for some grand speech, but she raised her Black Widow, lining up for a quick shot. As soon as she took let the bullet fire one of his soldiers got in the way. Another shot rang out and tagged her in the arm and she went down, a wave of Kett beginning to descend down upon them. Vetra pulled her out the way, moving them behind a barrier.

            She looked down at her arm, a chunk of armor was gone by her elbow on her left arm and she shook off the pain. It was minor compared to the aching within her body. The adrenaline surged within her, and she lined up to let more rounds fire.

            “Damn it! Emun, he has access!” She heard Shannon’s desperate cries and she was about to rush forward once more, but Vetra held her back.

            “We have to find another way.” Their attention turned toward a massive remnant architect in the middle of the room coming to life. It sent a shockwave their way and the two of them scrambled to get away from it. Vetra took aim, popping it several times, and it shuttered its weapon for the moment.

            Remnant began to pour into the room, adding to the stress of taking down the rest of the Kett soldiers. Emun tried to focus, knowing that the thing in the middle of the room needed to be shut down, but she couldn’t help looking over to see her brother out of her reach. He was right there.

            “What do you suggest we do?” Their group rounded up near her and they took out more remnant as they began to appear.

            “Shoot the shite out of it,” Emun said. They disbanded, trying to work their way around the room to find its weak points. It was proving harder than they all thought. Remnant were coming at them, and she knew she was getting low on bullets. She saved what she had left and began to use her tech. She was throwing what she could at them.

            A shuttle flew in, Peebee’s voice rang out across their comms. _“Guess who’s here?”_ She said, and the biotics began to fly. She was grateful, it gave them all a new edge. She needed to figure something out, but the remnant were protecting the Archon. If she could just get one shot in, she could take that bastard out.

            “Drack,” She called over the comms.

            “I’m here,” It wasn’t long before he jogged his way over.

            “I need a distraction.”

            “What’re you planning?” Drack asked.

            “Hey, I heard distraction, what’s up?” Liam jogged over as well.

            “If I can take out the Archon, then we can shut that damn thing down.” She told them.

            “There are at least ten remnant that way.” Liam said.

            “That’s why I need a distraction.” But they dallied too long, and she felt a searing pain surge through her when the architect sent another blast their way. Her ears were ringing, she didn’t get away fast enough, and she saw Drack and Liam fighting off the remnant that had ambushed them. She was panting, crawling towards her gun, and she managed to stumble to her feet.

            She ducked behind a barrier, trying to send out another overload, but the machine had successfully fried her tech. She felt a searing pain hit her back, and she whipped around to shoot the observer that had caught her off guard, watching it explode in a brilliant flurry.

            She looked around, her team, her _friends_ , were busy fighting it out on their own. She eased back against the barrier and caught sight of something sitting beside her. One of Liam’s grenades. It must’ve rolled over here when they’d gotten it. She picked it up, looked over towards the barrier of remnant and heaved it as far as she could, watching as they exploded.

            This was it, it was now or never, and she hefted her rifle up as she ran over there, trying to pick her feet up, hoping she wouldn’t fall. She had one last push left in her, head aching, she could feel the blood trickling in various spots of her broken armor. She stood at the ramp, looked up to the Archon who was suspended by tendrils that were connected to him. She didn’t know what was happening outside, but she dearly hoped they weren’t too late.

            She lined up a shot, steadying her breathing. One shot. That’s all she needed. She held her breath, her shaking stopped, and she eased her finger along the trigger and watched as the bullet sunk into the Archon’s temple. He went limp, a blast rocked her from behind as the remnant machine began to break down.

            It was mostly a blur after that. Shannon watched, horrified, able to spot his sister at the last minute. He collapsed forward from his seat, his energy was zapped. He could barely move, but he had to get to her. He couldn’t leave her alone. Her friends didn’t know where she was, but he could see her lying behind a barrier, her head was visible. She wasn’t moving, arms splayed beside her and he was finally able to crawl his way to her side.

            He pulled the helmet off her head, noticing it was their father’s, and he looked down at her face. There was a trickle of blood from her mouth, nose, and ear. “SAM!” Shannon called out. “SAM, please do something,” He began to sob, but he felt helpless, and he was near darkness himself. “SAM… Please don’t let her die.” He felt his own body go limp beside her and he couldn’t keep himself awake. As the darkness began to consume him, he briefly began to wonder if this was it. He was desperately hoping that this wouldn’t be the end for them, but would wishing be enough?

 

\----

 

            Reyes woke with a start, thinking he felt something brush across his hand, but the more likely culprit was a gust from the air conditioner breezing past him. The room was dim, they’d put Emun and Shannon in a separate room from the med bay, and for the last couple weeks they’d tried to keep visitors out, but they couldn’t keep him away, nor could they keep her crew from popping in from time to time.

            The two of them were still out, Shannon merely sleeping, but Emun was hooked up to the machines as SAM slowly helped to repair her. It was taking a while, they didn’t want to overload her too fast, but she’d received a lot of damage. She’d been hit with a couple electrical pulses, and shot quite a few times. Not to mention the burn at the back of her shoulder.

            He watched her, she looked so calm and peaceful, they’d taken the tube out of her mouth, as she was breathing on her own even without SAM’s aid. Her heart beat was steady, the steadiest it had been in a while. He was hopeful she’d come to soon. He looked over at Shannon’s bed. The man had been mostly sleeping. He’d woken up a week prior, but was extremely weak. He was on his side, back facing away from them, and he could hear his steady breathing. The twins were a mess and he let out a sigh.

            Reyes slid his hand down her arm, avoiding the IV, and sliding his fingers into her palm. He linked his fingers with hers and brought her hand up to his lips, kissing her knuckles. There was a quickened beat to her pulse and he thought he’d dreamed it, but he was so certain he’d heard it jump. It was beating normally now and he glanced back to her sleeping face. He shook his head, hearing his omni tool alert him to a message.

            He ignored it for the moment, and finally let her hand settled back to the bed as he took a look at the screen and he tensed when he saw the message was from her. It was sent two weeks ago; the day of the assault on Meridian.

            He opened up the message and began to read it.

            _Reyes, I don’t know if this message will reach you. My comms are shot, and everything’s happening so fast. I can’t say it like this. I just… I need you to know that I care about you so much, and I don’t know if I’ll make it back, but I can’t leave my brother to this fate. I’ll die before I let that happen and I’m so sorry. I didn’t want it to end up like this before we got to say… Before we said it, before we showed each other just how much we… I have to go, we’re about to launch the Nomad. I’m sorry…_

_You were the first._

_Emun_

            He could barely catch his breath. It was just _this close_ to an admission of love, but would she still feel the same, would she still want to run away if he told her when she woke? He didn’t know, and it was agonizing. She’d sent him a death letter and she still couldn’t tell him before she left him outside those doors. She drove him crazy, but he could honestly say he wouldn’t have it any other way. If she was going to run, knowing how she felt, then she would’ve run away from him by now. Right?

            He had to tell her. He’d have to face the consequences if she still wanted to run away, but he had to say it. “I hope you love me…” He said quietly. “Because I love you.”

            “She’s never said it.” He was startled, looking up to see Shannon’s eyes on him as he was facing him now. “She’s never even told me she loves me. Never told mum. But we knew it, yeah?” He rasped. “She tries so hard to hide it, she’s usually pretty good at it… but when she really feels something… You know it.”

            “I don’t know…”

            “She loves you, Reyes. I can tell. Don’t ask me why she does, I have no idea. Da would have a shite fit if he was still around.”

            Reyes let out a chuckle. “I’m sure Alec would’ve hated me. I’m not good for her. I was never good for her.”

            “You’re wrong, mate. You are good for her. Lexi told me about all the little things you’ve done. How you’ve made her smile and laugh. Aside from being a shady bastard, you wouldn’t still be here if you didn’t. If all that other shite was more important than she was, you would be back on Kadara sending messages every once in a while to see if she was okay. But you’re not. You’re here. _Still_ here.”

            “She’s what’s most important.” He said, running his fingers over her hand. “I’ve never felt like this before. So much pain, but so much… _love_. I once saw the way my father looked at my mother before she left us. There was so much adoration, so much love. I used to think he was a fool, that it was pathetic that he loved a woman who didn’t love him. I respected him, looked up to him, but I tried to not be like him…”

            “She may not say, but Emun loves you.”

            “I’m not so sure. She’s not as obvious as Keema says I am.” Reyes let out a melancholy chuckle.

            “The day she disappeared and wound up on Kadara, with you; that’s how I know. Actions sometimes speak louder than words ever can.”

            “I’m a greedy man… I want to hear her say it.”

            “She will. Emun never does anything without fully thinking about all the logical outcomes first. Unless her back’s against the wall then you have this whole Meridian fuckup.”

            He let out another sigh. “You should get some more sleep, Shan.”

            “Yeah, yeah, whatever. Don’t go thinking we’re best friends now.”

            Reyes smiled. “What’re you talking about? We’re the best of friends.” He heard Shannon’s huff of laughter as he turned over in the bed and he tried to stay quiet so he didn’t disturb him. So her brother thought she loved him. But would she let herself say it or let him say it? His biggest concern was; would she let herself be loved by him?

 

\---

 

            Emun felt her eyes slowly open as she scanned her surroundings. She felt groggy, more sedated than anything, and her thoughts weren’t gathering that quickly or clearly. There was a chair beside the bed she was in; it was empty. Then she looked to her left to see her brother reading a data pad in the bed next to hers.

            “Shan?” Her voice was gravelly, and she was still a little confused.

            He jumped at her voice. “Emun?!” He started to get up from his bed and let out a grunt. “You’re awake!” He plopped onto her bed and leaned down to give her a hug.

            She groaned and he eased back. “My chest hurts…”

            “Well, that’s not surprising. You’ve got some cracked ribs, your arm was broken, so you’ll have to explain to me how you held up your fucking rifle after you were shot, and what else… Oh you were fried a couple times, burned, badly damaged. I mean you went through the gauntlet, sis, what the hell were you thinking? Didn’t your boyfriend tell you not to go in there after me?”

            Her eyes were still narrowed from sleep, but she knew the frown was deepening. “You’re welcome.”

            “Fine, fine. Thank you for saving my ass. Again.” They stared at each other a beat and she felt herself tearing up, but swallowed them back.

            “You’re alive,” She said, so grateful that he was here, he was whole. “I’m so happy you’re okay.”

            “Yeah,” he choked back his own sob, but wasn’t able to hold back a fleeing tear. “I’m happy you’re alive too. I thought I lost you. Again.”

            “I thought I lost you too.” She sniffed, wiping her eyes before any tears could escape.

            “God, we’re a mess, sis.” He said, then shook his head. “I wish… Nah, never mind.”

            “What?”

            “As strange as it seems coming from me… I wish da was here.”

            “Yeah,” She smiled sadly. “Same here… Is everyone else alright?”

            He nodded, “They’re all okay. But your boyfriend’s going to be pretty disappointed he wasn’t here when you woke up. He stepped out to grab some coffee, or whiskey… Or probably both.”

            “He’s been here?” She was surprised.

            “Yep, he’s been here the whole time. You know he was on the shuttle with Peebs, Cora, and Jaal, yeah?”

            Her eyes widened, “What? He was?”

            Shannon nodded. “He didn’t want you to worry so he was on the other side helping the ladies. He was providing some cover fire for them. However, I’m sure had he realized you were being shot to shite he would’ve been up your ass in a heartbeat.” He laughed.

            “What happened? I don’t remember too much.”

            “Well, you blew up a bunch of remnant then lined up a shot straight into the Archon’s head. Took him down, then kind of got yourself shocked again. You were out cold, then I passed out. Guess it’s the new Ryder specialty.”

            “I shot him?” She asked.

            “You’re surprised? From what I remember hearing you were going to put a fucking bullet in his head. You usually make good on your promises.” He chuckled.

            “You were in trouble.”

            “I know… Thank you, again. I mean it. But I wish you’d stop putting yourself in harm’s way for me. You’ll worry your boyfriend too much.”

            She let out a sigh. “Stop it,” She groaned, feeling her cheeks heat up.

            “Maybe you should do yourself a favor. Tell the shady bastard you love him. He’s going to go mad if you don’t say it.”

            She coughed, “Wh-what?”

            “Don’t try and play like you don’t know what I’m talking about. I know you’ve never said it to me, or our parents, but we always knew you loved us. But Reyes… Despite all the shite he put you through, the guy loves you. He’s _in_ love with you. He’s like a little lost puppy right now.”

            “I…” She shook her head, running her hand over her forehead. “I don’t know if I can do it, Shan.”

            “You nearly died for good like four times, sis. If you’re not scared of death how are you scared of telling this guy you love him? You stowed away on a transport ship just to see him. I know you love him, it’s so obvious.”

            She groaned. “Have I really been that obvious?”

            “I don’t know, but you can’t hide much from me. I am your brother after all.”

            She inhaled a shaky breath. She knew she needed to tell him. It had been on the tip of her tongue, and that stupid message she’d sent? She hoped that it hadn’t made it to him. She had no idea what she was going to do, but she knew one thing. She was aching to see him.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okaay this is it! (: Thanks again for everyone's support! And sweet comments! It's really what fueled me to keep going with this story! I was always so excited to post a new chapter just to see what you guys thought ^^

            Admittedly it had been awkward to see him. The two of them were dancing around the one little thing they were both afraid to say aloud. After another week under care SAM’s repairs began to take full effect and she was feeling a lot better, though she was definitely still tired. The Nexus group had decided to throw a party now that she was up, but she was doing everything possible to avoid the celebration.

            They wanted to select an ambassador of some sort, yet they wanted her to be the one to pick. She refused, telling them no. She wasn’t about to let them put that responsibility on her head. If they wanted an ambassador they needed to leave it up to the people to vote. She didn’t care one way or the other. All she knew was that she needed a break.

            She’d departed from the party, finding a spot that was quiet and away from most people. It was an empty area with a vid screen that showed the golden worlds. Habitat 7 flashed by and she turned to look out the window. It was lush and green. Practically perfect, but she still had a hard time wrapping her head around what Meridian really was. “There you are.” She turned to see Reyes, and he softly smiled her way. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

            “I’m not a fan of parties.”

            He chuckled, “I know. I guess I should’ve expected you’d leave me. Considering I sort of did the same on our first date.”

            “Sort of?” She raised a brow. “You left me for a bottle of booze.”

            He let out a mock gasp, “That was _not_ just a bottle of booze! It was _treasure_.” She chuckled, and he stepped closer to her, finding her hand and bringing her close to him. They settled into each other’s arms and he started to sway, his other hand settled at the curve of her back. This was comfortable, she felt so at ease when they casually danced.

            “You know, we could always recreate our first date. We’re already a third of the way there. I _did_ find a great storage room. Secluded, sturdy crates. We could make it better than that kiss you sprung on me.”

            “That I sprung on you? That did _not_ happen.”

            He let out a mischievous laugh. “Well, you wanted to kiss me.”

            “Maybe I did.”

            He smiled. “I never thought we’d be… together. Like this. I would’ve been a fool if I’d shut you out.”

            “I was the fool… I shut you out.”

            “For good reason, I’m all wrong for you… I still regret—”

            “Reyes, I think I…” She trailed off, drawing in a shaky breath and about to pull away from him when he placed his hand on her cheek.

            “I love you, Emun.” He said it. Her heart was racing.

            “I… I.” She bit her lower lip.

            “Emun it’s okay if—”

            “I love you too.” She barely said above a whisper and he stilled. She couldn’t believe she actually said it back. He let out the breath he was holding and swooped in, touching his lips to hers. She never thought she’d hear a man tell her he loved her, and he meant it. She could feel how much he meant it. He was here, he hadn’t left, and he had dropped everything to come here when he knew she was in trouble.

            “I never thought,” he broke from her lips only to kiss her back once again, “you’d say it back.”

            She cupped his face in her hands. “I never thought I could say it… But… I do.” She said incredulously. “I love you.” He smiled when she said it again, hand running into her hair and pulling her back to his lips. She smiled against his mouth. “How about we find that storage room?”

 

\----

 

            Shannon found himself inside SAM node, something had been bugging him since he and SAM had been taken by the Archon. It was a memory, and he thought it’d been strange, because it’s something that was pushed to the forefront of his mind, but it was something he’d long since forgotten. He didn’t think it was _that_ important when it happened back in the day. Although he had to confess it was kind of strange.

            He walked down the pathway once inside, and he wondered if he should find Emun and have her here with him. He didn’t want to disturb her, she was probably spending time with Reyes, and he wanted her to be happy. He hoped she finally told that shady bastard how she felt. She was so thick sometimes it was unbelievable. He hated to see her sabotage her own happiness; he never could tell if it was because she didn’t think she deserved it, or she was afraid to let it slip away once she had it.

            It wasn’t always easy growing up. A lot could be said about Alec and the way he treated them, and admittedly he still wasn’t over it, but they were mostly alone. They took care of each other. Their mum was usually busy with her own research and when she got sick it was downhill from there. He didn’t fault her though, at least she’d shown them the affection they needed, and tried to keep them all together as a family.

            _“Hello, Shannon.”_ SAM spoke.

            “Hey… I have some questions.” He finally said. “Who’s… Elizabeth Reilly?” There was silence surrounding them now, and Shannon’s brow furrowed. “When I was being used by the Archon I kept remembering old memories that didn’t seem important at the time… I walked into the cryo bay before we’d launched the mission, I wasn’t supposed to be there, but Da kept sneaking off and I wanted to see what he was up to. He was personally seeing an Elizabeth Reilly’s cryo pod into the bay. _Before_ anyone was being put in there. Was this important? Were you trying to tell me something?”

            _“Perhaps we should wait till Emun is available to discuss this further.”_

            “What are you talking about?”

            _“Shannon, I have unlocked some new memories of your father’s. One of these pertains to Elizabeth Reilly.”_

            “Okay…” He said slowly. “Well, where’s Emun then? I’ll go get her.”

            _“Emun is… With Mr. Vidal at the moment. She is… busy.”_

            “Stop. Stop it right there, SAM.” He blew out a sigh. “Well, whatever, she can wait then. I’m assuming you can’t access it without her, but you can at least tell me why this woman’s important, yeah?” He tried to rack his brain for what the answer could be. There was no way da would have an affair, mum was far too important. And it’s not as if he had time after she’d died to find another woman to shack up with. “SAM?”

            _“Shannon, I am conflicted.”_

            He rolled his eyes. “It can’t be that bad, SAM, what is it?”

            _“Elizabeth Reilly is… Your mother. She is Ellen.”_

            He frowned as he looked up at SAM’s core. “What the hell are you talking about? Mum is dead!”

            _“No. Alec put your mother into stasis; he brought her onto the Hyperion in hopes that someday we could find a cure for her disease.”_

            “You’re full of shite, SAM.” He panted, running his hand over the back of his head. “There’s no way… She wouldn’t have wanted that!”

            _“Alec loved Ellen too much to let her go.”_

            “But it’s not what she wanted!” He yelled, slamming his fists down onto the console. He shook his head, he was the one conflicted now. She was alive?

            _“Shannon, your mother’s pod is being accessed as we speak.”_

            “What?!” He looked back up. “What do you mean?”

            _“Someone is there right now looking at her pod.”_

            “Where is she?” He demanded and SAM gave him the block number for her stasis pod. He ran out of SAM node, quickly making his way towards the cryo lab and ran down the hall. He saw someone down there.

            “Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!” He yelled and watched the woman turn to look at him, then turn her attention back to the pod.

            “Relax. I’m not harming them. I have authorization.”

            “For what?” He finally made it to her side and when he looked at the person in the pod he was in disbelief. It really was her.

            “That’s classified.” She glanced back his way. “Hey, aren’t you one of the Ryder twins?” She asked.

            He couldn’t tear his eyes away from his mother. She looked peaceful, she looked… Okay. “Why are you taking samples? What for?”

            “Look, I said it was classified.” She said again, very nonchalant about all of this. “I’m not hurting her. Besides, who’s Elizabeth Reilly to you anyway, Ryder?”

            “She’s… It’s nothing.” He finally took the moment to look at this woman, she was somewhat tall, light golden brown hair piled into a high bun. Freckles dotted her tanned face, and she had light blue eyes.

            She took in a breath, cheeky smile on her face. Why did she look familiar? “Well, since you’re a Ryder and all, I suppose you have some sort of clearance. Hell, you may already be briefed on this since you’re the Pathfinder’s sister. This woman has an incurable disease. You didn’t hear it from me, but now that the Pathfinders are deployed and starting to fully explore more worlds, we’re sending out more bio research teams. Get where I’m going?” She asked, and he shook his head which caused her eyes to roll. “You must be the dense twin.”

            “Hey! I’m not daft, woman, I’m sorry I’m not as quick on the draw as you science arseholes.”

            She began to laugh, and it sounded familiar too. “I’m not on the science team. I’m former Alliance. I’m with the team for their protection.”

            “Then why are you here taking samples?” He narrowed his eyes.

            “I was on Kandros’s team to help with the Meridian mission. Since I’m here, my boss told me to gather the samples. Simple? No?” She shook her head again.

            “You can stop with the condescending tone.” He frowned.

            “I’m only bullshitting you, Ryder. Calm down.” She laughed. And that’s when it hit him. She looked a lot like…

            Commander Lonyn Shepard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There might be a smutty oneshot involving the storage room scene lol But I didn't want to take away from the fluff (: I didn't think it fit right with the ending! But the smut's still being written ^^;; *Because I'm a dirty vanilla bean* Anyway, thanks again you lovely people! Reminder that I'm @lonyn on tumblr so come say hi! (: Also I'm always up for prompts and/or requests on tumblr, so there's always that too! (: Thanks again everyone! You've all made this truly special for me!


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